The Inclusivity Issue Autumn '23

CHEF JJ JOHNSON

Ignites The Culinary Scene at Las Vegas’ MGM and Turns

Heritage Rice into a Gourmet Revolution

Rice & Roots

Hisi Studio’s ANGELA WANJIKU

unites fashion and braille for accessible style and awareness

Wearing The Unseen

Mother-Daughter Duo

Claire and Amaranthia

Gittens-Jones Ignite Equity in Art with Virtual Show and Game-Changing Grant Art with a Heart

Lucid Motors Luxury mobility company reimagining what a car can be.

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CREATIVE ART DEPARTMENT

Creative Director TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Editor In Chief TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM

Copy Editor AMANDA ORAHA

Editorial Design Director SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO

Creative Art Director ANDRES MALDONADO

Proofreading CRISTINA DEPTULA

Proofreading MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

ART DEPARTMENT

Graphic Design Director SAMMY CAMPANER Media Visual Assets ERIC BUENO

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

Global Brand Outreach KATIE LISTER

European Brand Outreach MANSOUR NDIAYE

HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TROORA HR TEAM

OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT

Operations Director TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM

ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT

Executive Administrative Assistant RONA MAGLINES

Virtual Administrative Assistant INNAH MARIE ALMARENIA

MARKETING DEPARTMENT

Marketing Director KWESI DONTOH

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING DEPARTMENT

Social Media Director JUSTICE ANN CUENCA

Social Media Assistant ADA MARCELINO

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Finance Director RONA MAGLINES

WEB & SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT

Web Design & Development MATT SCHULER

Web Maintenance MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

Systems & Operations Director ALESSIO MONINO

PRESS DEPARTMENT

Press & Public Relations BARBARA WICHMAN

LEGAL DEPARTMENT

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WRITING DEPARTMENT

Contributing Writer NEHA SURADKAR

Contributing Writer NIZIE LOKMAN

Contributing Writer JESSE ADUMA

Culinary Contributing Writer CARY WONG

Contributing Writer CRISTINA DEPTULA

Travel Contributing Writer FILIPA ARAÚJO

Fashion & Beauty Contributing Writer STELLA POLIZOIDOU

Contributing Writer MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

Contributing Writer KEVIN JAMES JEFFREY

Contributing Writer ROBYN ALEXANDER

Contributing Writer VICKI SLEET

Contributing Writer GREG COX

Contributing Writer MANDY ALLEN

Contributing Writer TUDOR CARADOC-DAVIES

Contributing Writer ELSA YOUNG

Contributing Writer GRAHAM WOOD

Contributing Writer TARA SLOGGETT

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Styling Contributor EMILY PAYNE

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Contributing Photographer MICHAEL DAKS

Contributing Photographer GAELLE BELLER

Contributing Photographer WARREN HEATH

Contributing Photographer KWAME ACHEAMPONG

Contributing Photographer COURAGE MUEGBEYOGHO

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Dear Readers, Welcome to TrooRa Magazine’s The Inclusivity Issue Autumn ‘23, where we have spun a narrative web of diverse voices, passion, and determination that champions the unseen, the unheard, and the unbreakable spirit of humanity.

This issue leads with the architectural mastery of “Freedom in Form,” highlighted by Karen Braitmayer’s crafting of inclusion. Her article paints a visionary picture of bold, inclusive, and barrier-free design, transcending mere structure to become a profound philosophy of life.

We then dive into the world of culinary art with “Rice and Roots,” where Chef JJ Johnson guides us on a flavorful global expedition, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what awaits.

The Bake-Off Tent becomes a stage for Chef Briony’s unstoppable ascent, and Chef Alexis Hillyard takes the culinary revolution to new heights. Together, they serve up a feast of stories that break molds, defy expectations, and celebrate the authenticity of flavors and craft.

Explore “All Aboard Tampa,” an extraordinary feature that illuminates Tampa Bay’s forward-thinking initiatives in making tourism accessible for all. Beyond a user-friendly website, the region’s innovative Riverwalk Passes are setting new standards elevating the travel experience with seamless inclusivity. Tampa Bay isn’t just rolling out the red carpet, it’s redesigning it for everyone.

Fashion makes a bold statement this season. Von Ruz’s empowering journey to redefine fashion, Hisi Studio’s elegant fashion for the visually impaired, and Izzy’s crusade for universal chic all weave a “Fabric of Change.” These stories are not just about wearing garments but wearing one’s convictions and dreams.

We stretch beyond fabric into the space of physical and mental wellness, featuring Javeno Mclean’s universal fitness, CyR.U.S. System’s visionary leap, Gympanzees’ joyful exercise for children with disabilities, and Meru Health’s holistic mental wellness. They are triumphs of the human spirit, paths to healing, and gateways to freedom.

In this edition, the Art section captures the artistic virtuosity of Sista Creatives’, showcasing a world rich in imagination and creative flair. Simultaneously, our Wellness section envelops you in the aromatic universe of Lippy Lu’s scent revolution. Together, these features amplify a commitment to creativity, purpose, inclusivity and equitability.

We celebrate heroes who turn sporting success into mobility solutions, shine a light on chronic illness care, and transcend beauty stereotypes. From the Mercado Movement’s transformation of beauty to Ivoree Beauty’s celebration of unseen spectrums, the canvas is vast and deeply inspiring.

At TrooRa, our mission is to connect, empower, provoke thought, and inspire change. Our vision is a world without barriers, a place where inclusion isn’t a word, but a living, breathing reality.

I invite you to journey with us through these remarkable stories. Be inspired, be awakened, and see the world through the vibrant kaleidoscope of inclusivity that is uniquely TrooRa. Here’s to a world that knows no bounds. Be Inspired, enjoy et A+!

Trystanne Cunningham Executive Editor Creative Director Founder Dontae Blinks

TrooRa’s Sustainability Efforts

TrooRa is committed to building a sustainable business model promoting and protecting the environment. Our digital platform on troora.com offers a conscious approach, creating an immersive space.

With your help in building robust online support, TrooRa will print fewer magazines to ensure we remain a leader in the industry. However, when TrooRa produces print issues, we will uphold the highest quality in sustainable standards.

The magazine you are reading is:

printed on fully recycled paper

printed with vegetable-based ink and biodegradable laminates

printed in close proximity to our markets in an effort to reduce distribution emissions

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TrooRa’s Reforestation Commitment

TrooRa's reforestation commitment in partnership with a leading environmental organization, Click A Tree, advances towards a greener future through our global communities collective impact.

For every print subscription or print copy sold, a portion of the proceeds is donated to advance our efforts to actively fight climate change.

Join us in this noble cause and let's make the world a better place, one tree at a time. Order your copy of our magazine today and help us plant more trees!

In Ghana, we plant over 20 different tree species, through our reforestation system called “syntropic farming”, which creates both a forest and fruit trees, enabling the local community to eat and sell the fruit, as we create a forest. We also support an educational program teaching Ghanaians entrepreneurship.

In Thailand, we plant over 40 different tree species, creating a habitat for elephants and other endangered animals, as well as a food source for the local community and the animals.

In the Philippines, we plant 13 different tree species and for each tree planted, we remove 1 kg of plastic from the ocean in the Philippines.

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A F K ANDREA PACQUIAO

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CHEF ALEXIS HILLYARD

CHEF BRIONY MAY WILLIAMS

CHEF JJ JOHNSON

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contributing team

CARY WONG Culinary Contributing Writer

FILIPA ARAÚJO Travel and Art Contributing Writer

STELLA POLYZOIDOU Fashion and Beauty Contributing Writer

GEORGE DIKE Contributing Writer JESSE ADUMA Health and Fitness Contributing Writer

KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY Contributing Writer

NIZIE LOKMAN Wellness and Travel Contributing Writer

MRUDAVI PUNEKAR Contributing Writer

TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM Executive Editor

ANDRES MALDONADO Creative Art Director

SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO Editorial

AMANDA ORAHA Copy Editor

CRISTINA DEPTULA Contributing Writer Writing Consultant

SAMMY CAMPANER Graphic Designer

ALAA AL-SAEED Photo Editor

ZAIN AL-TAWEEL Photo Editor

celebrating us, the strong, resilient, and radiant women in our communities who inspire the world with our diversity and beauty

STORY BEHIND THE COVER:

The Inclusivity Issue Autumn ’23

PHOTOGRAPHS BY: CHEFF JJ JOHNSON, HISI STUDIO | LISA-BLUE | COTTONBRO STUDIO, SISTA CREATIVES RISING

WRITTEN BY: TRYSTANNE CUNNIGHAM

In our journey to mirror the diverse and enriching world that surrounds us, I found it crucial, as the founder, creative director, and executive editor-in-chief, to collaborate with our team in taking an unorthodox yet exciting approach to the quantities of our cover selections. By choosing not one but three covers for each issue, we embrace a multifaceted perspective that resonates with the richness of human experience. This choice allows us to feature various dimensions of creativity, culture, and innovation, sometimes reflecting different angles of the same article and other times highlighting three distinct featured articles. This approach is a celebration of variety and a conscious decision to acknowledge that there isn’t just one story or one way to view the world. It offers our readers a choice, empowering them to connect with the image or theme that speaks most profoundly to their values, interests, and creative love. It’s more than a magazine cover; it’s an expression of our commitment to inclusivity and our respect for the individual voices that make up our vibrant community.

Wearing the Unseen Hisi Studio’s Journey

Chef JJ Johnson

This Autumn, we’ve chosen three distinct covers that resonate with our core values and epitomize our commitment to creativity, inclusivity, and love for the myriad expressions of human life.

WEARING THE UNSEEN HISI STUDIO’S JOURNEY

Our first choice of “Wearing the Unseen” as a cover is a groundbreaking statement. It represents a movement towards fashion that is accessible and inclusive. Hisi Studio’s revolutionary work in designing fashion for the visually impaired is a stride toward inclusivity that we wholeheartedly support. This cover mirrors our unshakable belief in pushing boundaries and fashioning a world where everyone feels seen and valued.

RICE AND ROOTS CHEF JJ JOHNSON

This second cover graced by Chef JJ Johnson’s culinary artistry is more than just a nod to delectable cuisine. It’s a tribute to the global amalgamation of flavors, connecting cultures and traditions on a single plate. We chose this cover to symbolize our shared human connection and the exploration of cultures that define TrooRa Magazine’s essence.

ART WITH A HEART SISTA CREATIVES RISING

Our third cover, “Art with a Heart,” is an affectionate homage to the mother-daughter duo behind Sista Creatives. Their initiative not only fosters creativity but also stands for equitability and empowerment in the art world. This cover was chosen as it exemplifies the core of what TrooRa Magazine seeks to amplifylove, creativity, and the audacity to create positive change in the world.

In choosing these three covers, we have endeavored to curate a visual experience that speaks to different facets of our readers’ values and creative love. Each cover is a narrative, a testament to our shared commitment to inclusivity, empathy, and the appreciation of human diversity.

We invite you, our beloved readers, to choose the cover that resonates with you, knowing that each one is a reflection of our collective passion for life’s beautiful complexity. Let The Inclusivity Issue Autumn ‘23 of TrooRa Magazine be your companion in celebrating a world that thrives on connection, compassion, and boundless creativity.

Art with a Heart Sista Creatives Rising

Wearing the Unseen Hisi Studio’s Journey

Launching Spring 2024

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78 Freedom In Form

Defying Boundaries

A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “the finer things in life.”

HOW GYMPANZEES IS MAKING EXERCISE ACCESSIBLE AND JOYFUL FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Artist Dameon Priestly focuses on times and events of social and cultural change

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL DAKS

266

A Race For Mobility 212

HOW ATHLETES FOR HOPE IS TURNING SPORTING SUCCESS INTO MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

Art with a Heart

SISTA CREATIVES RISING, A MOTHER-DAUGHTER INITIATIVE FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND EQUITABILITY IN THE ART WORLD

234

The Ray of Healp

ELIZABETH TIKOYAN, SHINING A LIGHT ON CHRONIC ILLNESS CARE GLOBALLY

WE PRODUCE ALL OF THE BEERS USED TO MAKE OUR WHISKEYS & ARTISAN SPIRITS

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FREEDOM IN FORM

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FREEDOM IN FORM

Karen Braitmayer: Crafting Inclusion and Pioneering a Future of Bold, Inclusive, and Barrier-Free Design

WRITTEN BY TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM

In this insightful exploration, we delve into the world of Studio Pacifica, led by the visionary architect Karen L. Braitmayer, FAIA. The studio’s commitment to bold, inclusive, and barrier-free design has redefined the architectural landscape. By championing universal design principles and crafting spaces that transcend physical limitations, Studio Pacifica stands as a beacon of innovation and empathy. The article unveils their inspiring journey, highlighting how their designs honor the dignity and diversity of human experience.

Karen L. Braitmayer

STUDIO PACIFICA

In the heart of Seattle’s thriving design community, a movement has been quietly taking shape that transcends the conventional boundaries of architecture. Led by Karen L. Braitmayer, FAIA, Studio Pacifica’s mission is all-encompassing: create spaces accessible and beautiful for all, regardless of age or ability.

Studio Pacifica was established in 1993, and its impact has been profound. Collaborating with some of the most highly respected architectural firms in the Pacific Northwest, they’ve crafted barrier-free environments that extend far beyond legal requirements and into the realm of genuine innovation.

Educational facilities, commercial spaces, healthcare buildings—all have felt the touch of Studio Pacifica’s unique approach. Their adaptive layouts are tailored to individual needs, utilizing cutting-edge assistive technologies and sensory considerations to ensure an inclusive, welcoming environment.

The philosophy that drives Studio Pacifica is universal design. It’s a way of thinking that puts people first, emphasizing functionality, aesthetics, and humanity. The team doesn’t just meet the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; they push boundaries, exploring new avenues to enhance accessibility without sacrificing style.

At the center of this remarkable journey stands Karen L. Braitmayer. A leader whose passion for accessibility is not only professional but personal, her firsthand experience dealing with physical barriers infuses the firm’s approach with empathy and authenticity. As the managing principal and the firm’s guiding star, Karen’s achievements are manifold. From serving on the US Access Board, shaping public policy in accessible design, to receiving numerous awards for her commitment to inclusivity, she is a figure whose influence reaches far and wide. Her role as an educator further extends her impact, nurturing the next generation of architects and fostering awareness and empathy toward universal design principles.

But what truly sets Studio Pacifica apart is its vision for the future. While compliance with accessibility laws is vital, they see beyond the legalities. Their forward-thinking approach ensures that projects are not only aligned with current standards but are also future-ready, poised to adapt to the evolving understanding of inclusivity and diversity.

Studio Pacifica’s legacy is a movement for equality, dignity, and beauty. It’s a testament to the potential of inclusive design, offering a glimpse into a world where accessibility isn’t a limitation but an inspiration. By crafting spaces that are as welcoming as they are visually stunning, they have redefined what’s possible in architecture.

As they continue to shape our communities, Studio Pacifica’s work resonates with the values of our time, underscoring the importance of a design philosophy that honors the rich diversity of human experience. It’s a world where everyone is welcome, and beauty is not bound by physical constraints.

In a society often entangled in regulations and restrictions, Studio Pacifica’s journey is an inspiring reminder of what’s possible when creativity is unleashed. Their story is a masterclass in innovation and compassion, reflecting a shift in societal values towards inclusivity and empathy. Studio Pacifica isn’t just constructing buildings; they’re building a legacy of universal beauty, marking a path for others to follow. It’s a world where the doors are always open, and the paths are free from barriers—a world without limits, where design serves all, and where true beauty is, indeed, universal.

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RICE & ROOTS

BY: CARY WONG

EASY AS CAKE

BY: CARY WONG

DEFYING BOUNDARIES

BY: CARY WONG

Rice &Roots

Chef JJ Johnson’s Global Journey Through Flavor

WRITTEN BY CARY WONG

It is interesting to think about the commonalities in food globally. Whether one lives in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, or Europe, we share a tremendous amount of culinary language. Within that context, it is fascinating to get to know Chef JJ Johnson. He comes from a Caribbean background with a Puerto Rican/West Indian mother and Barbadian grandfather. He spent a lot of time in his grandmother’s kitchen, an always vibrant, delicious, and amazing place.

“She definitely injected food DNA into my soul. I believe that’s the reason I’m a chef today. [It started] early on for me cooking with my grandmother, and I always had a really great relationship with food,” he says.

“I always remember [the food] putting smiles on people’s faces.”

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he went on to work in some of New York’s finest kitchens, including Centro Vinoteca, Jane, and Tribeca Grill. It was a trip to West Africa and Ghana with iconic chef/restaurateur/author/ host/singer Alexander Small that changed his view on food and life.

Chef JJ Johnson

During those two months, the two chefs cooked American-themed dinners. They interacted with the locals—not to mention researched and partied a whole lot. He gained a deep firsthand understanding of their distinct food, culture, and lifestyle. He knew how to cook before he went on that trip. However, he only focused on Eurocentric style cooking like risotto, fresh pasta, and pâtés. Not that he doesn’t love those dishes, “It was just that I never realized that I could bottle up who I was—or a culture I’m very familiar with—and cook something really great and tasteful at that same level,” he says. “And that’s what really changed my perspective on the food scene and on the way I looked at food.”

To Chef Johnson, the dining landscape is dominated by European and Asian cuisines, while the food of the Caribbean, South America, and West Africa are at the bottom. The cooking method, history, and origins of these cuisines were not taught or valued in the culinary world until recently. His experience in Africa showed him that he could create great-tasting food that represented his culture at the same level as the other “prestigious” fares.

As much as people think that African food is exotic and mysterious, they share a lot of commonalities with what we eat every day. The food is flavorful and bold. It has a deep history and comprises different people within different countries. Through slavery, the people of West Africa have impacted other places in the world, and their food has as well. For example, one can trace Jamaican food back to Nigeria. The cuisine of Barbados originated from Ghana. Traits of Africa can also be found in Indian cuisine. If someone looks closely, the way different foods move and shake share a similar rhythm.

After returning to the United States, he worked on the menu for The Cecil, a restaurant co-owned by Chef Smalls. It served Afro-Asian-American cuisine and was the first of its kind in the country ten years ago. The restaurant’s impact on the dining scene in America, even on the world, is still felt today. It is no longer strange to see Michelinstarred African diaspora restaurants in London or Afro-Caribbean food featured at the prestigious Lincoln Center in New York City.

As much as people think that African food is exotic and mysterious, it shares a lot of commonalities with what we eat every day.

Chef Johnson has since branched out after his time at The Cecil. He was the first chef to kick off the royalty residency at MGM Resorts in Las Vegas. It was a truly innovative concept, where people could get a dish or two out of the restaurants on the MGM property, similar to what an artist or singer might do. This partnership with MGM was meant to bring more Black people, more Black chefs and business owners to Vegas. And it has been a smashing success so far.

He has also spent considerable time in front of the TV camera. He feels that if one wants to cook at home, why not do that with him on TV and gain a different perspective? His show Just Eats is fun and approachable, focusing on things you can do with family, friends, or even on a date night. He also opened a restaurant called Field Trip in Harlem, New York City in 2019. Its slogan, “rice is culture,” is a nod to the popularity of rice all over the world, from Ghana, Singapore, India, China to Israel and beyond. Everyone celebrates this important crop. That excitement seems to be lacking in the United States, so he wants to revive this idea by serving all the good rice—freshly milled and neither enriched nor bleached. By doing that, he hopes to make serving heritage rice like Carolina gold fashionable, just as the Indians proudly serve Basmati rice at their table.

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King Crab Bowl

The idea of culture is heavily intertwined with the idea of inclusivity. To Chef Johnson, where someone is from, what they look like, and what culture they belong to should not dictate the price of their food. Is the food really good? Does the restaurant offer good hospitality? Does it hit the mark of what they want to provide? If so, they should be able to charge what they believe they are worth. That should be the correct rating, not some highly-publicized and well-known published list.

“Certain types of food can’t break a certain threshold for price. Like charging $40 for a curry chicken, people would cringe. But we see it happen all the time. With people outside the [indigenous] culture or Eurocentric guys that will cook curry chicken, charge $45, and nobody questions it,” he says. “And that’s just not fair to the mom-and-pop shops out there in the world. The people who worked really hard, the grandmas that created the curry. [They] are not allowed to charge over $17… because there’s a perception of food.”

For young people who are looking to open a restaurant or a new business, he has a few suggestions. First, raise more money than one believes is necessary. Most people in the food business are raising capital for three to six months of operating expenses, but that is not enough time to learn about the customer. In order to build the demand, the money is not going to be made back in the first three months. Second, listen to the customers. What one is working on may not be what the market wants. And some surprise items may turn out much better than expected, and “you got to just roll with it sometimes.”

Though the economy is tough, with prices skyrocketing, Chef Johnson is staying aggressive. He is working on expanding Field Trip to more locations within the New York metropolitan area, He is also trying to have a bigger play in the media world as well as developing other restaurant concepts. “I say I’m trying to be in the food industry for as long as Wolfgang Puck,” he says.

If Chef Puck’s career is his blueprint, then Chef Johnson is building quite an impressive empire! @CHEFJJ

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Chef Briony’s Unbreakable Rise in the Bake Off Tent

WRITTEN BY CARY WONG

Chef Briony May Williams

After 13 seasons on-air, The Great British Bake Off is now a muchbeloved institution. A global cultural phenomenon that attracts a massive following of devoted fans who eagerly tune in to each episode to see the latest mind-blowing creations by talented bakers.

Chef Briony May Williams joined the 2018 series and captured the imagination of many. Although she was born with a physical defect—a left hand that stops at her wrist (which she charmingly calls her “little hand”)—she finished in the top four and won countless fans. She grew up with her mother, father, two brothers, and grandmother, who happened to be a home economist. As one can imagine, a great amount of knowledge, techniques, and recipes in baking and cooking were passed down to her.

“[My grandmother] lived in quite rural Northern Ireland. So she would make soda bread every morning. She’d make scones every morning,” she says, while burying the amazing lede that she baked them all strictly from memory. “She wouldn’t weigh the ingredients; she’d just kind of look at it and do it, which blows my mind—like how anybody could do that? And for it to come out tasting amazing too!”

And just to be clear, Chef Williams’ mother also contributed to her current career as she used to make birthday cakes for young Chef Williams—a fact that is often jokingly brought up.

Though now a prolific baker, she did not start seriously baking until 2013 when she took nine months off work due to an illness. She was working at a school then, and the school nurse suggested

taking up a new hobby to keep busy during that difficult period. So, she first tried knitting but then concentrated on baking because she found it more enjoyable.

“I started baking, and the first few things I baked were just awful. I mean, really bad. But then I kept at it and got better and better,” she says. Through persistence, however, she began improving quickly. At

that point, she started baking birthday cakes for other people, and many of them suggested she should try her luck at the Great British Bake Off. She would reply that she was not good enough to participate but applied secretly. She was eventually selected as one of the contestants, even though she had only started baking five years before that point.

Recalling her experiences, she cherished everything she experienced during the show— including the time when she cried in the freezer, “You know, all like, sobbing into a corner,” because things were not going well. She simply felt honored to be a part of a beloved show, able to learn from other bakers and expand her baking horizons so she could work on new baked goods every week.

During the competition, she was also able to try new things in a much deeper way. For example, she had obviously made bread before but not to the extent that “bread week” required. The same happened during pastry week when she made a ton of them.

She also appreciated having expert judges who have an exceptional knowledge about various items. For example, Paul Hollywood has an eerie sixth sense about bread and can immediately pinpoint what is wrong with them. As someone that did not have the patience to make bread often, Chef Williams needed to focus and do her best in order to advance. Nowadays, she understands bread better, and it has helped her master them.

When asked about raising the awareness that people with physical challenges face in the kitchen, she believes that we are getting better. One such example is the increased exposure. “[Showing] disabilities on TV is so important because it… makes people more aware,” she says. “But it also normalizes it because, in the UK, there are nearly 15 million people who have a disability of some kind, which is a lot.”

That exposure “gets people talking,” which then creates an open environment for discussions, alterations, and ultimately making our surroundings, including kitchens, more accessible.

It is crucial to have conversations with people with various disabilities—be they physical, mental, learning, or otherwise— about what they need. Often these dialogues happen without those specific people in the room. And that is where problems could happen, and we as a society could improve; so that decisions would not get made without consulting the people for whom they were meant.

Just as important is to truly deliver what was discussed alongside people with disabilities. If nothing changes after a constructive meeting, it renders the process moot. Even small changes, like having work surfaces at various heights and making sure that kitchens are wheelchair accessible, can make a big difference. These things are rarely thought of but can make all the difference in the world.

For example, the Great British Bake Off team approached her on whether she would need any accommodations to succeed. She did not need such changes, but the intention, conversation, and commitment to follow through on possible requests secured her trust in the team.

After her exciting time on the show, she started working as a TV presenter. In 2022, she joined a program called Escape to the Country, a show where they help city dwellers who want to move to the countryside

for a different lifestyle find their dream homes. She also works on a show called Food Unwrapped, in which she gets to explore different food questions. The team goes into factories, farms, and other locations to answer people’s questions about food and where it comes from. Last but not least, she is also a part of Morning Live’s kitchen segment, where they take an ingredient and cook it in three different ways.

As busy as Chef Williams is, she still makes time to contribute to her community and different charities. One of them is called

Paul’s Place, a wonderful local charity in Bristol, where she lives. They have a kind of “enjoy center” for adults with disabilities where they can play poker or do other social pastimes. It enhances and improves their everyday lives so they are not forced to stay at home bored because they cannot do everything that everyone else can do. “There’s always so much laughter when you walk in the door, it’s an amazing charity, and why there isn’t one in every city in the UK, I have no idea,” she says. She also works with Bristol Mind, which is a mental health charity. She feels deeply for the cause because she suffered from depression for a long time. Last but not least, she also works with Reach, an organization that helps children with upper limb differences live life without limits. It helped her mother adapt and adjust as a parent when she was younger, so it was an important charity to her.

When it comes to advice on how to improve in the kitchen, she says it is a good idea to start with the basics. Do not start with making a fancy French pastry. Instead, take baby steps with a basic cookie, sponge cake, or bread loaf. Once they are mastered, then move on to something more complicated. This way, one can establish a strong foundation to make something more elaborate. Another key is to stay consistent. Whether an individual has a physical challenge or is just not good at baking or cooking, keep watching those tutorials, use the wealth of knowledge on the internet, and keep trying. “The first sort of cake I made was awful; it was flat as a pancake,” she says. “But the next one was slightly better. And the one after that was slightly better… If you want to get into it, it’s completely doable. You’ve just got to kind of keep going.”

Certainly, good advice that not only applies in the kitchen but to life in general!

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Defying Boundaries

Chef Alexis Hillyard’s

Artistic RevolutionCulinary

WRITTEN BY CARY WONG

Watching Chef Alexis Hillyard’s YouTube cooking videos on her “Stump Kitchen” channel feels like watching an energetic friend sharing her best recipes while having lots of fun.

Despite having a congenital limb difference of having a stump instead of a completely-formed left hand, her sense of humor renders that fact irrelevant.

“I have a younger sister who, when she was two and a half or three, really started to engage with my stump as a character,” she says. “So, I would put on little shows for her. And she actually named my stump Deda! And it became this fun game for my sister and me, where I got to celebrate who I was in these loving and playful ways.”

That experience helped instill joy, playfulness, and humor in her. It also gave her confidence and a great way of interacting with people.

In addition, having watched her dad making amazing meals—like spaghetti sauce from scratch, among other dishes—in a fun and playful way, it inspired her love of food. The idea of doing a cooking show, however, had not yet been formed. Food was simply something that she enjoyed eating. Several years ago, Chef Hillyard was diagnosed with gluten intolerance and became a vegan. At the same time, she started to spend more time in the kitchen and learn how to cook more seriously. Feeling nervous at first, she started with simple recipes in the beginning. However, she found her sea legs quickly and began experimenting with more challenging dishes. Eventually, she realized how therapeutic and meditative cooking could be.

“It became this beautiful, embodied experience,” she says. “And then I just kept learning and learning and taking knifeskill courses and just learning my craft.”

One day, her partner said that the way she cooks is “really

awesome” and that she should show the world. Casually, she started teaching herself how to film, how to edit, and how to make a YouTube channel to put it out there. She really enjoyed the process of making videos as well as watching herself on camera, and that was how everything began.

Over time, she began getting messages from people all over the world about her new endeavor. Parents with kids who have a limb difference or disability. People who are missing an arm or missing a hand. They would send her comments like “My kid wants to cook like you” or “Look—we have the same arm!”

These inspiring messages made it clear that her work was special and important. She realized that it was more significant than just a fun diversion. She saw how critical it was to increase representation of disabled people and bodies in the media. Content such as hers inspires others to pursue their passions regardless of their limitations.

“It became this beautiful, embodied experience,” she says. “And then I just kept learning and learning and taking knifeskill courses and just learning my craft.”

With that, she decided to commit to putting out more regular videos. Everything grew from there—it started on YouTube, then on Instagram, and now on TikTok and other social media channels.

As apparent from the channel’s name, Chef Hillyard often uses her stump as a tool in the kitchen. Juicing citrus is one of her favorite ways to employ it. Every time a lemon, an orange, or a grapefruit needs to be juiced, she gets into it enthusiastically. “It works so well because it’s such a nice shape. And I can twist, and it’s just so lovely!”

Smashing mini potatoes is another fun example. She boils and cools them just so she can smash them on the pan and bake them again. Last but not least, she also uses her stump as a spatula for waffles, pancakes, or crepes.

Similar to how she learned how to ride a bike— her father had built an extension on the handlebar, but she found it inhibiting, so she took it off and found a way to make it work—

Chef Hillyard often finds her own way of cooking in the kitchen without too much extra help or tools.

“It’s this beautiful community spirit, in a way”

She feels that there is more we can do in the kitchen to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. By lowering the tables and spaces in the kitchen, people who use wheelchairs or have leg amputations would be better served. Thinking about handles and food packaging would also be helpful. “Sometimes getting into packaging can be annoying. I use my teeth a lot!” she says.

A while ago, she started inviting local children with missing limbs to take part in segments of her cooking show as guests.

The idea came about organically when the mother of Kelly, a child with a missing limb, contacted Chef Hillyard via Facebook, asking if they could cook together. It was a healing and joyful experience for both of them. After that, more families reached out as Hillyard welcomed other kids to the show.

When children come to cook with her, she makes sure they know it is okay to make a mess, as that is how they learn. She allows them to do anything they want with her supervision, including using her Japanese chef knives. She believes that children are capable of much more than we think, as long as they have caring guidance and training. For example, her two-year-old child uses the same knife under her supervision, and her knife skills are wonderful! By letting them explore different things, it is amazing what they come up with. “It’s this beautiful community spirit, in a way,” she says.

Outside the kitchen, she loves the ukulele and singing, which is clear to see since she teaches a small ukulele choir. She has recently gotten into art in her Instagram and TikTok, where she

paints her stump as different characters, similar to cosplay. These videos have become popular, so she wants to produce more content around that.

It should come as no surprise that Chef Hillyard is involved in a great deal of community work and partners with different charities. One particular program that is close to her is The Lucky Fin Project. It is an organization based in the United States with global reach. Its goal is to educate and celebrate limb differences, and she is its first Canadian ambassador. It allows her to reach out and talk to families all around the world for mentorship, for guidance, or just for fun. They also do representation work and connect new parents whose babies are missing an arm or other limbs. The organization lets them know that there are similar people. They can ask questions and not feel alone. “They do such great work, particularly for children and new families. Which, I think, is so important when you don’t know anyone that’s gone through this. So yeah, that’s one of my passion projects, for sure,” she says.

Chef Hillyard’s passion for cooking, community, and disability representation shines through regardless of setting—whether online, in a group, or in person. Her journey of finding joy in her limb difference offers us inspiration. The Stump Kitchen is not only a cooking show but a celebration of diversity, inclusion, and the human spirit. And those are things we can all undeniably appreciate. @STUMPKITCHEN @STUMP_KITCHEN

The Stump Kitchen is not only a cooking show but a celebration of diversity, inclusion, and the human spirit. And those are things we all can undeniably appreciate.

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Adventure

Awaits, Tourism’s New Era of Accessibility

Where in the United States can you meet an African penguin, sail on a pirate water taxi, nosh on signature SpanishCuban cuisine, and encounter history inside a shipping container?

How about rolling gourmet cigars, perusing Etruscan antiquities, letting your little ones give a CT scan to a monster, and touring an opulent turn-of-the-century railroad resort, all within a few days?

That’s all possible in Tampa Bay, Florida! And state agency Visit Tampa Bay enables accessible tourism making it easier for people with disabilities to enjoy travel.

PHOTO CREDIT: DAVID HUNTER, GROVE IMAGES, DAVID COFFMAN WRITTEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

TAMPA IS FOR EVERYONE

Traveling while disabled often involves extra planning to figure out which locations and attractions are accessible.

“It can be scary to spend eight hours flying somewhere and then not know if you’ll be able to get around once you land,” says influencer Chelsea Bear, who lives with cerebral palsy. “I’d call places in advance, especially those in older buildings, to see if they were really going to be accessible to me, and see if they needed to do any sort of planning to accommodate me when I got there.”

Leaders in Tampa Bay’s tourism space have gone out of their way to make that research easier and streamline disabled travelers’ journeys, rolling out a virtual red carpet for people with disabilities that begins on their website. This includes participation by influencers—like Bear—who describe their experiences in Tampa.

“We’ve assembled quite a team of local bloggers, visitors, ambassadors, who represent the disabled community and who want to highlight to the broader community how accessible Tampa Bay is,” says Visit Tampa Bay president Santiago Corrada. “The message is that Tampa is a place for everyone, no matter your history or ethnicity, or who you love, or your disability.”

Corrada formerly worked as a teacher for children with disabilities and has a passion for accessibility, so this project is close to his heart. He hopes that tourism organizations in other locales follow their lead.

ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTIONS

The Visit Tampa Bay site highlights and sells an Accessible Riverwalk Pass, which offers discounts for a variety of attractions along the riverwalk that have taken steps to become navigable for the disabled.

These include the Henry B. Plant Museum, a former turn-ofthe-century resort turned historical attraction, which offers special tours for low-vision guests as well as large print programs, and the Glazer Children’s Museum, which is a certified Autism-Friendly Business and holds sensory-friendly events with the lights turned down. The Florida Aquarium also aims to be autism-friendly, with staff trained and

equipped to assist patrons with autism and other disabilities and indicators of what exhibits might be easier for someone with autism to visit.

The History Center, which showcases Florida historical figures such as notorious pirate Jack Rackham and freewheeling and strong-minded former president Teddy Roosevelt, offers a helpful guide for visitors with autism. In addition, it’s highly convenient for visitors in wheelchairs.

“Wow, this is the elevator? I’ve never seen one this big before!” says influencer Jamie Santillo, who wheels excitedly around in her video on VisitTampaBay.com.

The Center has also positioned its signage to be readable at the eye level of a person in a wheelchair and uses fonts that are more readable by people with various disabilities.

Other attractions highlighted on Visit Tampa Bay include iFly World, an indoor skydiving center designed with visitors of all abilities in mind, where an instructor can individually guide visitors with mental or physical differences.

“We try to let as many people as possible experience what it’s like to fly in a wind tunnel,” affirms an iFly World staff member.

The amusement park Adventure Island also allows disabled guests to skip the lines for the rides they can enjoy safely.

On Visit Tampa Bay’s site is a prominent link to Wheel the World, a trip-planning site designed for people in wheelchairs to find hotels, tours, and attractions workable for them.

“Many of Tampa Bay’s attractions are actually stairs-free!” says Santillo.

The site also provides ready links to accessibility services at Tampa’s airport and to a podcast with Chelsea Bear in honor of Disability Pride Month in July that discusses, among other topics, the experience of Tampa travel for the disabled.

A WIN-WIN FOR TRAVELERS AND BUSINESS

In addition to allowing people with disabilities to fully enjoy visits to Tampa Bay, accessibility measures are great for businesses as well.

As Bear puts it, “What this is doing for business is allowing them to have every possible customer get through their doors, and who wouldn’t want that?”

Bear was happy to get on board with Tampa Bay’s marketing efforts because they made disability accessibility a central part of their efforts, mentioned prominently on the tourism website. Also, she appreciated that the city’s businesses listened to the concerns of people with disabilities and mentioned a restaurant that added a wheelchair ramp after hearing from customers. On that same podcast episode, Corrada also mentioned a campaign to raise awareness among Tampa hotels about how best to accommodate service dogs and those who travel with them. This attention to inclusivity contributes to an incredibly successful tourism industry in Tampa Bay, with over $500 million in hotel revenue in 2022.

People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority group in the U.S., and campaigns such as Visit Tampa Bay’s go a long way toward making travel welcoming.

“This is a community that cares. We want you to come visit, and more than that, we want you to come and be our neighbors,” says Corrada.

Our mission is to remake, re-use, recycle, and repurpose for a prolonged life cycle. diarrablu.com

Photographer: Elias Gurrola instagram.com/eliasgurrola twitter.com/Elias_Gurrola facebook.com/eliasgurroladesign pinterest.com/eliasgurrola/_created eliasgurrola.com

fashion & accessories

WEARING THE UNSEEN

BY: MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

IZZY DOES IT EASY

BY: STELLA POLYZOIDOU

THE FABRIC OF CHANGE BY:

MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

Wearing The Unseen

Hisi Studio’s Journey to Redefine Fashion for the Visually Impaired

PHOTOGRAPHED BY HISI STUDIO | LISA-BLUE | COTTONBRO STUDIO

WRITTEN BY MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

In the world of fashion, accessibility has often been an afterthought. Inclusive clothing for people with physical disabilities is still available in the market. However, what about the visually impaired and blind?

For Angela Wanjiku, the founder and Creative Lead of Hisi Studio, accessibility for the visually impaired is at the forefront of her design philosophy. The brand features fashionable, adaptive clothing, incorporating textures, braille, and QR codes that generate audio descriptions, making fashion more inclusive for everyone.

HISI STUDIO GENESIS

In 2018, Wanjiku was trying to come up with a topic for her final year project at the University of Nairobi (UoN). In the process, she recalled that a town near Nairobi, Thika, has two schools for blind and visually impaired children. She had interacted with the students a few times.

Angela Wanjiku, the founder and Creative Lead of Hisi Studio TROORA

She asked herself, “How do the visually impaired people go about fashion? How do they dress up? How do they shop for clothes? What is the fashion experience for them like?”

In answering these questions came the solution of adaptive clothing. She conducted research through questionnaires and personal interaction for clarity. In her interviews with visually impaired university students, Wanjiku learned more. She interacted closely with them and their wardrobes, learning about the users’ pain points that their clothing didn’t fulfill.

Two things became clear to her. One was to use braille and textures in her designs, and the other was to make the shopping experience smooth for all buyers.

With the element of touch, the aspect of interaction for the blind comes to life. “Hisi” means “touch” in Swahili. Hence, the name ‘Hisi Studio’ was born.

THE JOY OF INCLUSION

In 2019, Wanjiku decided to learn more about braille literacy and the visually impaired. She signed up for a braille proficiency certificate course at the Kenya Institute for Special Education. There, she learned about the lives of people with visual impairment. She also learned to read and write braille in Swahili and English and did mathematics in braille as well.

One of her professors was blind, and he was among the first to receive Hisi Studio’s final product after months of research. His reaction to interacting with the T-shirt was moving.

Wanjiku recalls this incident, “He was so excited. He exclaimed loudly, ‘I haven’t interacted with anything like this.’ It was amazing seeing the expressions on his face, the words he told me, and the delight that took over at that moment. That joy of seeing him light up in that way for being included in something—the joy of inclusion. It was at that moment we knew we were on the right path, and we just needed to continue.”

“Design is for everyone. Everything beautiful is for everyone.”

- ANGELA WANJIKU

CURATING A NEW SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

The shopping experience for the visually impaired is an undeveloped territory, especially in Africa. However, Wanjiku has successfully hacked the online part of it. By June, the brand also expects to be available in two stores in Kenya and grow into a few more by the end of the year. Currently, the fashion brand has its online shop on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. With each product image, there is a detailed photo description and alt. text. Most of the visually impaired people in Kenya have Android smartphones. They can use the Google TalkBack Accessibility feature to help scan the QR code easily. So each garment tag hosts a scannable QR code. It reads out the type, size, and color of the garment along with its Wash & Care instructions.

The best part about Wanjiku’s designs is that they are beautiful garments designed for all, not only the visually impaired. They are designed to make you feel confident.

SUSTAINABILITY IS FASHIONABLE

Wanjiku has her core beliefs set in sustainability. Hence she invests in ethical production practices. With Hisi Studio, she challenges sustainable fashion in two vastly iconic ways. One is environmental sustainability. The material used for the designs is cotton. To make it more eco-friendly than it already is, she plans to only use rain-fed cotton. She also believes in thrifting excess fabric stock, which is secured from the Maziwa market in the Kenyan Exports Processing Zone.

Hisi Studio also adopts the Subtraction cutting process while creating its clothing. This fabric-cutting process has ensured minimal wastage of fabric. This waste fabric is then sold to local furniture stores, then used for stuffing pillows, sofas, and beds. Furthermore, Wanjiku uses recycled PET bottles for printing braille quotes on her designs.

The second is Social sustainability. “People are at the heart of what we do,” shares Wanjiku. She is always keen on engaging tailors, factories, and women with children who need to work remotely. She employs people with disabilities who can stitch and sew and do beadwork. All because she understands that this is how she can help regulate the local economy in the community.

FROM BRAILLE TO YOUR HEARTS

Wanjiku integrates braille on clothing for the user to interact with. She also adds it to create an appealing aesthetic for sighted people. It sparks curiosity about the dots on the clothes, initiates new conversations about braille, helping to champion braille awareness.

Each collection has a key inspiration printed on the clothes in braille. Hisi Studio’s previous collection featured the phrase, “The less we see with our eyes, the more we see with our hearts.” Her latest collection of June 2023 features the quote, “Wade in The Water, Contend for Your Future.” inspired by our current decade, the 2020s. Wanjiku addresses of our current global issues—social unrest, health crises, racism, poverty, climate change, and so much more. She wants to inspire people to keep

going on. Wanjiku explains further, “We can’t keep at the banks. We have to jump into the river and deal with these situations head-on to better our future.”

Hisi Studio’s future is ‘Accessible,’ and Wanjiku adds that “We are wading in the water in that way to contend for our accessible future.”

Apart from this new collection, her latest design collaboration is with Vaa KE. Vaa KE is a Kenyan designer who uses thrift fabrics to design beautiful kimonos. This unique collaboration features a line of Kimonos created with thrifted fabric as well as the braille aesthetic. Manifesting as a 10-piece capsule collection, Vaa KE and Hisi Studio are breaking ground in the Kenyan fashion industry.

THE FUTURE OF ADAPTIVE FASHION

Fashion is slowly but surely becoming inclusive and adaptive. More brands and people with disabilities are now joining this crucial movement.

Wanjiku remarks that in the US, Europe, and the UK, the inclusivity movement is huge.

As an adaptive designer, she hopes to see more African brands design inclusive and adaptive clothing. She would love to see more accessible stores with staff trained in helping people with disabilities. She is also keen on seeing more work opportunities for people with disabilities by employing them for their strengths.

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Izzy Does It Easy

Creative Crusade for Universal Chic

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAYA FUHR // COURTESY OF IZ ADAPTIVE

WRITTEN BY STELLA POLYZOIDOU

Every success story has its humble beginnings, and Izzy Camilleri’s story is no exception. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Izzy initially embarked on her fashion journey as a freelance stylist, showcasing her creative flair in the world of film and television.

Since the age of 10, the world of fashion has been her playground. With every stitch and creation, her love for designing clothes has only

grown stronger. At 19, fresh out of fashion college, Camilleri took a leap of faith and started her own brand. But little did she know that her path would soon take a significant turn, leading her to become a trailblazer for adaptive fashion. From crafting clothes for high school plays and friends, she honed her skills and pursued her dreams at Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada. Armed with her fashion degree, Izzy ventured into the world of freelancing, and fate intervened when she crossed paths with Toronto’s top models, catapulting her into the heart of the industry.

Her career trajectory shifted when she received a request to create a stylish wardrobe for a quadriplegic news reporter and wheelchair user named Barbara Turnbull. As the two worked together, a world that was once unseen and unheard became vividly apparent. Through Barbara’s lived experiences, Izzy gained invaluable insight into the daily clothing challenges people face while living with a physical disability. This eye-opening collaboration fueled Izzy’s determination to make a difference through her designs.

Until then, Camilleri didn’t realize that people with a physical disability had different clothing needs or that clothing was either difficult or, in some cases, impossible to wear. Through her work, she discovered that clothing details, if overlooked, could lead to life-threatening pressure sores that can develop undetected. If left untreated for too long, they could eventually lead to blood poisoning and death.

She began to wonder what clothing was out there specifically for wheelchair users. After some preliminary research, she found that the existing adaptive clothing seemed to cater exclusively to the elderly or individuals living in long-term care facilities, leaving a significant gap in fit and style.

In 2009, Camilleri unveiled her brainchild, IZ Adaptive—a fashion brand dedicated to crafting fashionable, functional, and inclusive clothing for individuals with physical disabilities.

When it comes to designing for seated frames, the rules of the fashion game change dramatically. As Camilleri discovered, the traditional approach to clothing sometimes aligns differently with the realities faced by individuals who spend most of their time in a seated position. From discomfort caused by clothes bunching up to the risks of pressure sores that can go unnoticed, the challenges are both physical and emotional.

She recognized the need for flat seams, carefully selected fabrics, and a reimagined cut that not only ensured comfort but enhanced the sleek and stylish appearance of the garments when worn in a seated position. The result? Adaptive clothing that celebrates individuality while addressing the specific challenges faced by individuals with seated frames. From jeans and coats to dresses and sportswear, IZ Adaptive’s collection embraces diversity and ensures that fashion is accessible to all. By creating adaptive clothing that prioritizes style and practicality, she’s revolutionizing how people with disabilities interact with fashion. These clothing adaptations, such as magnetic closures, adjustable openings, and wheelchair-friendly designs, not only enhance comfort but also foster independence and selfexpression. Through IZ Adaptive, individuals are no longer limited by physical constraints but rather empowered to showcase their incredible spirit and style.

Over the years, her work has been featured in major magazines next to the best brands in the world. She was even asked to create wardrobes for many A-listers and celebrities, such as Meryl Streep, David Bowie, Jason Momoa, and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few. Izzy recently had the honor of designing the iconic metallic leather wardrobe worn by Gord Downie on the historic 2016 Man Machine Poem Tour.

The message of inclusivity and empowerment that brands like IZ Adaptive embody shines a brighter light on the whole category as even bigger brands join the movement and embrace the concept of adaptive lines.

Gone are the days when the fashion industry operated within rigid boundaries, catering solely to mainstream ideals. Today, the landscape is shifting as prominent brands recognize the importance of inclusivity. They are beginning to acknowledge the diverse needs and desires of individuals who have been marginalized for far too long.

In this special issue, where inclusivity is celebrated, it is a collective effort to amplify the stories and experiences of individuals who have felt unheard and unseen in the realm of fashion. From the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities to the struggles of those outside the traditional beauty standards, each narrative weaves a powerful thread of resilience and the longing of all pople to be seen and celebrated for who they truly are.

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Inspired by a love of vintage pieces, flowing feminine dresses, florals, and life by the sea.

The Fabric of Change

PHOTOGRAPHED BY FABRICE MALARD

PHOTO COURTESY OF VON RUZ

WRITTEN BY MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

Von Ruzive, founder of inclusive womenswear brand, Von Ruz

High-fashion brands are exclusive, catering to the ablebodied majority for as long as we can remember. Thus clothing has been largely inaccessible to the disabled minority. Only recently have brands like Tommy Hilfiger been considering disabilities in their collections.

However, Von Ruz is setting new inclusive standards in the fashion industry. The clothing brand addresses physical disabilities and also caters to the neurodivergent community.

HOW VON RUZ CAME TO LIFE

Vongai Ruzive is the visionary fashion designer behind this innovative, inclusive womenswear brand. Growing up with an autistic brother, Von saw firsthand how clothing could affect people on the neurodivergent spectrum. Her brother avoided fabrics like denim, which caused him discomfort and overstimulation.

Von always had a pressing urge to alter the conventional fashion industry into something that fit people much better. She deepdived into research mode, resulting in an enlightening Venn diagram. It focused on the overlapping problems women across multiple abilities faced.

She discovered a common theme of issues across all groups of women—disabled and non-disabled. Issues like itchy fabrics and irritable cloth tags were way too prevalent. Ruzive wondered, “Why not make something that everyone can wear that ticks the boxes of being both functional and aesthetically pleasing?”

Recognizing the lack of attempts at addressing these very common complaints, Von took charge. Her purpose became to make all women feel beautiful, comfortable, and confident in their skin without compromising functionality, style, and fashion.

“I am a believer in staying informed about what is happening around you without necessarily having to adopt everything.”

“Why not make something that everyone can wear that ticks the boxes of being both functional and aesthetically pleasing?”

INCLUSIVE INNOVATION AT GROUND ZERO

Von Ruz does not follow short-lived fashion trends; the brand’s core value aligns with evergreen designs. The logic behind it is simple and sustainable—create timeless designs with no expiration dates. This results in sophisticated, relevant, and fun clothing, regardless of fashion trends.

Furthermore, Von wanted to celebrate the uniqueness of each human and address the truth that no garment can fit every single person’s needs. She incorporated the made-to-order model instead of the mass-production model. This allowed her to customize the clothing to fit each customer’s unique needs, eliminating the need to alter clothes after buying them. For example, if someone with an amputated arm orders a blazer, they can request that it not have the full sleeve length. Taking inclusivity up a notch is the augmented reality technology at Von Ruz. Von recognized that cuttingedge innovation could enhance user experience on the brand website.

The augmented reality feature is accessible on the Von Ruz website under ‘#Enclusyv 3D.’ The experience of seeing all details of the clothing up close, from all sides, is truly fascinating.

She shares, “I believe that the more tactile the garments can get online, the more people can understand the full purpose of each design feature. It is why the augmented reality feature is perfect for a more interactive and immersive look into the garments. Overall, people like the feature, which is why I am driven to consider the different ways I can apply the technologies in the future.”

HACKING TRADITIONAL FASHION

Traditions, rules, fashion, and everything else—if they don’t evolve with time, they become obsolete. Attempting to evolve clothing, Von hacked her way into inclusive fashion. Remember the little struggle dance our arms do while trying to find the blazer’s armhole? Now imagine a person with lower mobility trying to wear that blazer or someone needing a caregiver to put it on for them.

Taking this issue at hand, Von deconstructed the traditional blazer and laid it flat. Instead of sewing it up, she attached the pieces using zips. She opened it up from the neckline to the hem of the sleeve, between the collars and the lapel. This became her revolutionary ‘Fully Detachable Blazer.’ One version has only double-sided zips, which can be zipped from the top to the bottom or vice versa. The other one comes with

magnetic zips, allowing more freedom of styling, like creating the slit effect on any sleeve.

One can simply lay down on the fully open, flat blazer and then zip it up whichever way is convenient. Comfortable? Yes! Sophisticated? Absolutely. Will it go out of style? Never. Ruzive made sure of that.

Her ‘Enclusyv’ Collection showcases wrap-over skirts, detachable blazers, trousers.

GIVING WINGS TO MANY DREAMS

Ruzive recollects the first time Von Ruz made the news on television in London. It resulted in an overwhelmingly positive response from people. She received messages such as “I am pleased to see that someone is finally considering people like me.” It motivated her immensely, validating that she was moving in the right direction.

Ruzive reflected, “While business, in general, can be tough, I still hold on to those kinds of moments to keep on the right path.”

Now that Von Ruz has figured out the ins and outs of womenswear, the brand is excited to introduce its inclusive menswear collection. In the future, Von strives to design more inclusive garments for as many different abilities as possible.

EXCLUSIVITY IS GOING OUT OF FASHION

Von Ruzive believes that “the [fashion] industry needs to move away from, ‘Oh, we will just add some disabled models here and call it a day.’ It’s about rethinking the full scope of what is possible with inclusivity.”

More in-depth studies need to be conducted across disabilities and the neurodivergent spectrum. There is a need for more representation in fashion shows. More involvement of the community in R&D is needed. All this and more to fully understand the scope of fashion inclusivity.

Inclusive fashion design should ultimately become the standard definition of fashion design. This means an accessible, affordable, aesthetic, and comfortable garment for every single person. Von Ruz is championing this front. The brand is optimistic about the growing inclusive conversations in the industry and eager to see how it transforms in the future.

future family heirlooms

LUI: Traditon, Heritage luijewelry.co

A TOUCH OF INDEPENDENCE

BY: MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

BEYOND THE PALE

BY: FILIPA ARAÚJO

A Touch of Independence

CyR.U.S. System’s Visionary Leap Toward Universal Accessibility

For most of us, having good eyesight is something we take for granted. But for over 2.2 billion people worldwide with some degree of vision loss, even the simplest tasks can be challenging. In fact, most of us will experience vision loss in some form or another in our lifetime.

Enter Victoria Watts and the CyR.U.S.™ system. It is the world’s first and only modern tactile language designed to help the visually impaired. It makes products across skincare, personal care, home care, and several other categories easy to identify and use safely. Victoria is also introducing Touch Tags™ by CyR.U.S.—a 3D-printed sheet that sticks to your favorite products for accessibility for the visually impaired.

| VICTORIALAND BEAUTY | TOUCH TAGS™ BY CYR.U.S. | NATALIYA VAITKEVICH | COTTONBRO STUDIO | KAMPUS PRODUCTION

WRITTEN BY MRUDAVI PUNEKAR

PHOTO CREDIT THE CYR.U.S. SYSTEM

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND VICTORIA’S INNOVATION

Victoria Watts is the creator of the revolutionary CyR.U.S. system. About six years ago, shortly after launching her skincare brand, VictoriaLand Beauty, Victoria gave birth to her fourth son, Cyrus. She learned that Cyrus was born blind due to a rare hereditary disorder affecting the retina.

Watching her son grow up and explore the world without sight, Victoria recognized the beauty of the way Cyrus made sense of his surroundings. Along with it came the realization of a new set of challenges for him to tackle in this world built by and for the sighted.

Victoria recounts that while giving

Cyrus a bath one evening, it struck her that without help, it would be difficult for him to differentiate between the products he needed to use. “It was terrifying for me to realize he wouldn’t even be able to take a shower by himself without help if nothing changed,” shared Victoria. This led her to reflect upon the fact that the low-vision community isn’t being considered when designing products. None of the products had any tactile markings. A few companies used Braille on their packaging, but it wasn’t a great solution, and the similar product profiles made it more difficult for product identification.

Victoria defined these challenges and set out to overcome them. Over the next two years, Victoria worked closely with focus groups, conducting interviews and extensive user-centered

research. Taking these learnings, she designed and tested dozens of prototypes with actual users.

Thanks to the testing, Victoria concluded that the potential of this tactile system is in a universal application, spanning various industries. She found the combination of a raised QR code and tactile marking to be the best implementation for products. It made them identifiable by touch, with the product details accessible through the audio descriptions initiated by QR codes. She named this tactile solution the CyR.U.S. system after her son, Cyrus. It is also an anagram for ‘Raised Universal Symbols.’ The system is a comprehensive library of easy-tolearn, raised, universal symbols and embossed QR codes initiating audio descriptions.

THE CYR.U.S. SYSTEM WAS BORN

Victoria Watts introduced the CyR.U.S. System in 2020 and implemented it in the packaging of four VictoriaLand Beauty products. It worked, serving as a proof of concept. Victorialand Beauty went on to win the 2021 Beacon Beauty Award, appreciating its inclusivity efforts. A question that may come up in this conversation is, “Why create a whole new system when the braille language exists?” Statistically speaking, only about 10% of the visually impaired population knows how to read and write in braille. In fact, with advancements in assistive technology, screen readers are readily available, so braille is becoming less relevant with time, As a language, it takes a long time to master and takes up a lot of space when written or printed. So practically, it would be costly and difficult to incorporate on the packaging.

Victoria describes the CyR.U.S. System as a “Tactegraphic.” The symbols are like emojis, making them intuitive and easy to find and learn. Simplicity is key here—everyone can understand it, improving efficiency and speed of communication.

Victoria says, “Although CyR.U.S. was designed for the low vision and blind user, it has benefits for most of us—i.e., people with any degree of vision loss, the aging population, foreign language speakers, and people with learning disorders who struggle to read product packaging.”

CYR.U.S. EXPLORING ITS FULL POTENTIAL

The system is ready. Next step? Getting brands to adopt it.

“My mission is to establish CyR.U.S. as the Universal Tactile by 2025 and plan to expand CyR.U.S. across all CPG categories,” Victoria commented.

The brands and large Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies absolutely loved the concept. However, Victoria comments, “Currently, the technology required to efficiently and cost-effectively implement CyR.U.S. on products doesn’t exist. That’s when I realized I could make symbol labels (tags) directly available to those who need them.”

Victoria found Scodix, a method of digital printing that imitates Braille’s “raised” characteristic. She knew that this technology would be perfect for the tags she envisioned creating. This idea evolved into Touch Tags™ by CyR.U.S.

LAUNCHING THE TOUCH TAGS™

One can simply apply the Touch Tags™ to the products they use daily, and voila! Your product is now easy to identify, even when you are in the shower with your eyes closed or without your prescription contacts!

Victoria designed them to be water resistant. Each kit features a raised QR code directing to audible instructions and how-to-use and symbol descriptions.

The Touch Tags™ are set to launch in the Summer/Fall of this year, available in Home Care, Skin Care, and SelfCare categories.

Can the CyR.U.S. system be used beyond product packaging? Yes! It can be used in kiosks and brick and mortar stores. This will empower low-vision shoppers to have an independent shopping experience. It will ease product category navigation and cut the need to read the fine print on most product packaging.

“CONNECTING THE SIGHTED AND UNSIGHTED”

When the low-vision community was introduced to CyR.U.S., Victoria emphasized how overwhelming and heartfelt the reaction was from them.

“The simple fact of the low vision community finally being seen and given the equal opportunity to use and enjoy products just like everyone else will connect the unsighted and sighted worlds so that accessibility is barrier-free for all, and to create a more inclusive world.”

-Victoria Watts.

When asked about important advice to share with brands, Victoria tells us, “There’s a saying in the disabled community ‘Nothing for us without us.’ My best advice for a brand and/or company that wants to make its products and service more inclusive to individuals with disabilities is to bring them into the conversation and design process. Otherwise, their efforts will most likely miss the mark.”

Beyond the Pale

the Pale

Ivoree Beauty’s Inspiring Journey to Celebrate the Unseen Spectrum

WRITTEN BY FILIPA ARAÚJO

PHOTO CREDIT IVOREE BEAUTY

In a world where diversity and inclusivity are gaining increasing recognition and importance, there are still certain communities that have been overlooked and underrepresented in various industries, including the beauty industry.

Jennifer Rhodes, also known as J. Renée, took it upon herself to address this gap and create a beauty brand that caters specifically to people with Albinism. Ivoree Beauty is a groundbreaking brand that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and the unique beauty of Albinism.

Rhodes further explains the meaning behind the

brand’s name. “Ivoree Beauty is for ‘the fairest of them all,’ meaning all of the most beautiful people inside and out. It is a brand for everyone with a focus on the underrepresented. The brand was named ‘Ivoree’ because it is my daughter’s middle name. My daughter does not have Albinism, but I named her ‘ivory’ because it is a very strong material used to make ornaments, and I am also a pianist who admires the ivory keys used to play beautiful music. I felt that the name represents strength and beauty.

Inclusivity in the beauty industry is very important because everyone wants to feel seen, heard, and included. Everyone wants to feel beautiful.”

Jennifer Rhodes, Founder of Ivoree Beauty

Ivoree Beauty celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and the unique beauty of Albinism

The story behind Ivoree Beauty is one of passion, empowerment, and a strong desire for representation. In 2009, the founder of Ivoree Beauty, Jennifer Rhodes, established a beauty group for women with Albinism to share beauty tips and advice. Through this group, the founder realized a specific need within the community—blonde-colored false lashes. Unable to find this product on the market, she took matters into her own hands and created blonde lashes specifically designed for people with Albinism.

The response to the blonde lashes was overwhelming. On the day of the product launch, the blonde lashes went viral, capturing the attention and support of people far beyond the Albinism community. Encouraged by this positive reception, Rhodes expanded the product line to include white, auburn, and black lashes, as well as color cosmetics for all shades. This decision reflected the brand’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that individuals with Albinism and those with other unique skin tones could find products that suited their needs and complemented their complexions.

One of the core principles of Ivoree Beauty is to incorporate inclusivity not only in its products but also in its branding. As a legally blind visual artist, Rhodes personally designs all the packaging, including the illustrated characters. By featuring these characters with Albinism, Ivoree Beauty aims to provide representation and visibility for individuals with Albinism, which was rare in the beauty and fashion world. This resonated not only with the Albinism community but also with customers who faced challenges in finding their unique shades. “The idea was just to have something fun that we can see ourselves represented in the images because it wasn’t common to see Albinism included in beauty and fashion. I received feedback from customers who do not have Albinism, as well as those who had difficulty finding their shade and were happy to find the options we offer. Ivoree Beauty aims to be inclusive for all who feel underrepresented in beauty and provide shades that are difficult to find.”

“The idea was just to have something fun that we can see ourselves represented in the images because it wasn’t common to see Albinism included in beauty and fashion.”

“The focus was to find colors that aren’t commonly available, like white, blonde, and auburn for hair color.”

PAVING THE WAY IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY

The process of creating products specifically for people with Albinism presented its own set of challenges. “The main challenge is that it is difficult to manufacture products in the colors that customers want. It is very expensive to develop a product that does not already exist, so there are some products that we do not have yet because of a lack of funding.” Rhodes explains that Albinism manifests in a range of skin tones, eye colors, and hair colors, as there are different types of Albinism with varying levels of hypopigmentation.

Ivoree Beauty focused on developing colors that were not commonly available, taking into consideration the diversity of people’s preferences so that they could cater to everyone. “The focus was to find colors that aren’t commonly available, like white, blonde, and auburn for hair color. People with Albinism also have different preferences for how they wear their makeup, whether minimalistic to complement their natural color or bolder colors that bring out their features. Some may prefer a blonde brow pencil, and others prefer a deeper shade. For color cosmetics, we wanted a variety of shades from the fairest shade to the deepest shade because not all people with Albinism are the same complexion.”

What sets Ivoree Beauty apart from other beauty brands on the market is its unique combination of factors. Firstly, it is a black, disabled, womanowned brand, which brings a fresh perspective and representation to the beauty industry. Secondly, Ivoree Beauty was specifically created to meet the requests and needs of a small community, and representation can be a major factor for members of the community. Rhode reflects on the impact of society’s beauty standards as a young woman. “Growing up, I personally had so many people pressure me to color my lashes, brows, and skin darker to look more ‘normal,’ so as a teen, it was something I obsessed over with trying all kinds of sunless tanner, tinting my brows and lashes darker and experimenting with hair color.”

The response from the Albinism community since the launch of Ivoree Beauty has been overwhelmingly positive. “There has been a lot of positive feedback from the Albinism community who thank me for making them feel visible and included because the representation matters so much. I have followers from around the world, and the best feedback I received was from women in Africa who wrote to me to say that I helped them feel more confident in their skin. They were very excited to see a beauty brand created by someone who looks like them and faces the same challenges as they do who was able to find success in an industry that overlooked us in the past.”

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Looking to the future, the vision for Ivoree Beauty is focused on expanding the range of color cosmetic options and introducing various lash styles. By continuously innovating and meeting the needs of the Albinism community, Ivoree Beauty aims to take it a step further and establish itself as a leader in inclusive beauty. Ivoree Beauty stands as a testament to the power of inclusivity and representation in the beauty industry. Ivoree Beauty has not only empowered the Albinism community but has also inspired individuals from diverse backgrounds to embrace their unique beauty. The brand’s commitment to diversity and its focus on representation have not only filled a gap in the market but have also highlighted the importance of inclusivity in the beauty industry as a whole.

“There has been a lot of positive feedback from the Albinism community who thank me for making them feel visible and included because the representation matters so much.”

swim and lounge wear sustainable and inclusive designed for fit, comfort, and versatility

Wellness

EMPATHY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

BY: KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

A FRAGRANT REVOLUTION

BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

Empathy in the Digital Age

Meru Health’s Holistic Journey Towards Mental Wellness

WRITTEN BY KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

It’s not much of a stretch to say the mental health care system in the United States is broken. For most people with depression, anxiety, or burnout, it takes over a decade to find a treatment that works. That’s without delving into the fragile safety net of government programs, the lack of sufficient insurance coverage, limited access to adequate mental health services, and the high cost of medicines and rehabilitation.

But on the bright side, there are people attempting to solve the mental health care dilemma, including Kristian Ranta, Riku Lindholm, and Albert Nazander. They are the founders of Meru Health, a mental health care platform that takes a holistic approach to helping people get better from the convenience of their smartphones.

Here’s the gist of Meru Health: You call a Meru Health therapist through the app, and they tailor your program to best meet your needs and goals. Then over the next 12 weeks, you learn behavioral and mindfulness techniques that you practice at your own pace. To ensure you get the most out of each week, you frequently check in with your therapist and an anonymous peer group for additional support.

PHOTO CREDIT COURTESY SUOMEN TEOLLISUUSSIJOITUS, CODA, TECHCRUNCH, TIVI

Kristian Ranta, Founder

Meru also combines modern technology, such as their wearable tracker to measure long- and short-term progress, with behavioral science and proactive care to achieve enduring outcomes. The main idea of the program is to empower people to make simple changes to their lifestyle so that they can see real impacts and changes that stick.

This holistic approach differs from the traditional ways we think of supporting mental health. Sure, it’s great to focus on making people feel better about themselves, their situations, and how to handle difficulties in their lives. But in reality, we should also consider our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being because all of those areas are tied to mental health.

Like many successful startups, Meru Health came from a place of passion for the company’s founders. In Kristian Ranta’s case, his parents were both entrepreneurs, so he got to watch his father run his factory from a young age. But his passion for mental health care stemmed from a darker place in his life. He learned what suffering was when he watched his mother battle cancer multiple times and later when his older brother took his own life after suffering from depression for many years.

For Ranta, those moments in his life were dark, but they also taught him the most valuable lessons. “They kind of gave me perspective and the understanding of what it is to suffer and what other people have to go through,” he said in an interview. “It expanded my understanding of how I can help myself with situations as they arrive… you can learn how to change the way you take them so you can learn to change your reaction and perception.”

For now, depression, anxiety, and burnout are the main issues Meru Health is treating. By integrating mindfulness practices, lifestyle changes, and physiological techniques such as biofeedback, long-lasting outcomes can be achieved. The biofeedback monitor gives participants a tool they can use to calm themselves before and after stressful situations such as morning commutes. That information is then relayed to their therapist, who confirms how successful their session was.

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@MERUHEALTH

/MERU-HEALTH

@MERU_HEALTH

/MERUHEALTH/

Part of the success of the Meru program is that many people feel stigmatized when they seek support for mental health issues. They’re afraid friends, family, and colleagues will think they are weak, crazy, or incompetent. Meru offers a way to seek out a digital clinic and get the care they need from the safety and privacy of their own home without having to worry about what other people think of them.

Meru Health’s Chief Research Officer Valerie Hoffman points to the biofeedback aspect as the difference maker in the program. “I think the biofeedback is the secret sauce that kind of holds everything together,” she said in a video posted by Meru Health. “It actually has a physiological component that makes your flight-or-fight response calm down.”

As of now, the cost of Meru Health is comparatively less expensive than traditional therapy, which costs approximately $2,200 for the same-length program. There is no up-front, flat rate for the program because the company is going for a more transparent, on-demand pricing that’s results-based. But on average, participants are paying around $750 in total. That’s a big change in an industry where people feel financial pressure to cut back on therapy.

For patients like Leeti, a Meru participant that was open enough to share her personal story, the program offered her a way to learn about her body’s response to stress. “I feel like what I got from the Meru Health program was a very future-oriented attitude. Lots of new tools and techniques to help me change my behavior and thought patterns and the kind of things that I do that would be harmful to me in the future,” she said in an interview. “The program helped me to be more optimistic and have hope.”

A lot of components of the program that helped Leeti have been clinically proven through published science resources and research. Much of the research has to do with the effectiveness of therapist-supported digital mental health intervention. Essentially, proving that talking to a therapist through your phone actually works. Overwhelmingly, the studies resulted in the reduction of depression-related and anxietyrelated symptoms.

Hoffman thinks there’s much more in store for the future of Meru Health. “I think that as time goes on, we can probably extend what we’re treating to more than just depression and anxiety,” she says. “I can see us being so helpful for substance use disorders, PTSD, and eating disorders, which could have really good clinical outcomes as well.”

At this trajectory, Meru Health could be the new standard of mental health as more people have access to affordable help from the convenience of their phones.

“I feel like what I got from the Meru Health program was a very future-oriented attitude.”

—LEETI, MERU HEALTH PARTICIPANT

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A holistic healing collective founded on the principles of Chinese and Functional medicine.

A blend of modern health principles and ancient wisdom, to curate a personalized, multi-disciplinary healing experience.

A Fragrant Revolution

A Symphony of Scents with a Splash of Purpose

As an entrepreneur and a mom, Marisa Bentley finds self-care incredibly important for her well-being.

“I think, as women, it is easy to put others’ needs ahead of our own. Finding ways to pamper ourselves and unwind from the demands of life is crucial to finding balance and health—inside and out.”

The company she and her son Lincoln founded in 2022, Lippy Lu, addresses skin care.

“Skincare is an easy and important part of this self-care equation. When we take care of our skin by adding a relaxing spa-like aromatic experience at home, it helps us refuel so we can return to the urgent demands on our time and attention. It is the whole idea of putting on our own air mask first so that we will be able to take care of others.”

Lippy Lu produces all-natural body scrubs, lip balms, and bath salts to create smooth and beautiful skin.

“Our products are hand mixed in small batches from pure and simple ingredients,” co-founder Marisa Bentley says. “It all started from a desire for natural and beautiful-smelling products.”

Bentley affirms that Lippy Lu’s ingredients are all-natural, and nothing is synthetic or artificial.

“Our products are infused with essential oils, fruits, and petals—using all that nature has to offer while enhancing your aromatic experience. They are never tested on animals. This is skincare approved by nature.”

WRITTEN BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

PHOTO CREDIT MARISA AND LINCOLN BENTLEY

MOTHER-SON PARTNERSHIP

Marisa’s son and Lippy Lu’s co-founder, Lincoln, is on the autism spectrum and has many support needs, yet he contributes greatly to the company’s success.

They founded the company to ensure that he would have stable and meaningful employment in a supportive environment. She relies on the strengths he brings to the business and relishes how they learn from each other.

“He is a significant member of this team and, frankly, the inspiration behind everything we do. He is quite literally my silent partner. It has been a joy to watch him learn new skills and gain more and more independence. In the beginning, I would stand with him and help him with the recipes, but now he requires very little supervision. He is meticulous and detail-oriented, so plays a big part in the final inspections of the products. Lincoln has a sensitive nose, so plays a very important role in the scent profiles that we use,” says Bentley.

She says it has been a joy to watch him have a reason to get out of bed in the morning and find pride in his work, and she hopes that they can continue to partner together on this for a long time.

“Running a business with my son is one of the greatest experiences of my life. Lincoln is such an amazing man, and it means so much to work together—creating something really beautiful together.”

She says launching one’s own business, or setting up a family business, can be a good path for disabled people. Each person with disabilities has a unique combination of strengths, capabilities, and support needs, so the answer to employment for yourself or your child or family member may be to create a job that works.

MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Creating dignified and meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities is a fundamental aspect of Lippy Lu. Each aspect of putting together Lippy Lu’s handmade products, from label art to product creation to packaging, is handled by a disabled person, and they all earn fair wages for their work.

“Behind every product created and behind every one of our beautiful labels, there is a story and an artisan who created it. All our products are handmade by special needs artisans,” says Bentley.

Lippy Lu creates their products in small batches so that their artisans can see the entire production cycle from start to finish. Also, this allows artisans to complete projects in small increments with more flexible deadlines and schedules. In addition, customers receive fresher, better-smelling products that have not spent a lot of time sitting on the shelf.

The labels for each of Lippy Lu’s 15 different scents were all created by artists on the online art marketplace LINC-d, which specializes in showcasing work from neurodiverse artists.

“Each scent has its own art provided by a LINC-d neurodiverse artist—all with varying special needs from Autism to Down syndrome to cerebral palsy, to name a few. In a collaboration with LINC-d artists, we were able to choose from some amazing art. We looked over their art and let the art ‘guide’ us,” says Bentley.

Lincoln Bentley is also an artist with work featured on LINC-d and loves to draw animals. Lippy Lu’s vanilla products sport his Rainbow Zebra, a zebra covered in rainbows, which he created for a show at Brooklyn’s Autism Museum.

For the other scents, they started with the art first and matched it to a scent. Some pairings were relatively simple. For example, artists Celia Landreth and Jackie Emanuel created lovely paintings of roses and peonies that matched the scents of the corresponding flowers. Other pairings required more thought. “For example, D.J. Svoboda, an accomplished autistic artist out of North Carolina. I looked over his art and let his art guide me. I kept coming back to his ‘Mupperezmo,’ which is part of his Imagaville collection. This character has a long neck holding his head upside down, with the caption, “Look and see things from a different point of view.” I think it makes the perfect art for the Coconut Collection, and D.J. agreed,” says Bentley.

The Mint collection’s label comes from Texas LINC-d member Kenny Davis, who is autistic and an abstract artist. “His paintings have a lot of movement and colors. Something about his ‘Deep Blue Stratus’ screamed ‘Mint!;” Stephanie Tacey, an Arizona artist with Down Syndrome, created a colorful piece entitled “Little People” that inspired the Eucalyptus scent label, and the Peach scent’s label came from “Tri-Me,” a painting by Georgia artist Noah Williams, who lives with cerebral palsy. (Marisa admits his location might have inspired the decision as well!)

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Most of Lippy Lu’s customers have found them online, but they are also in a few stores nationwide. These include the Northeast Arc in Massachusetts, Creative Gifts in New Jersey, and One For All Gifts in Long Island.

“All of these stores have very similar missions to our own—providing employment opportunities for those with special needs. We are very proud to be affiliated with amazing companies like these,” says Bentley.

Lippy Lu also attended and sponsored a 5K run in Virginia for the Organization for Autism Research.

“We were able to set up a booth and meet lots of wonderful people,” she says. “It was an honor to be part of such a great event.”

FUTURE GOALS

Lippy Lu would love to be in stores in each state where their label artists live so that their communities can rally around and support them.

“We have artists in many states, including New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Washington, and California. How wonderful would it be if their specific scent was sold in their state?”

Partnering with more stores would allow Lippy Lu to sell more products and create even more employment opportunities for disabled people.

Lippy Lu is also excited to announce the launch of customer-requested larger bath salts in the beginning of May.

Another way they would like to grow and expand is by developing more purposeful partnerships. Currently, they are looking to source all their ingredients from farms run by adults with disabilities.

Also, they intend to build and nurture more connections within their own neighborhood in the area around Idaho Falls, ID.

Marisa says that if she and Lincoln could start over with Lippy Lu, they would have reached out more deeply within their local community from the beginning.

“It has been amazing to meet so many amazing like-minded businesses from our online presence, but having the strong foundation from our home turf would have helped us feel more supported and more a part of the community. We had the idea and just took off without looking around us. Now that we are up and running, it has been nice to start bringing in other adults with disabilities to help in the product creation.”

They look forward to growing more of a presence and supporting others in their neighborhood in a more significant way and believe that connection will enrich everyone.

“As soon as people understand the purpose behind our products, something changes, and their support is almost immediate. It is beautiful to see the way Lippy Lu products have opened hearts and connected the broader community in such a personal way. The bonus? Our artisans feel seen and valued, and our customers enjoy remarkable one-of-a-kind skincare products that change lives and that they will love. For this reason, I would have started with our local community on a greater scale.”

In terms of products, they want to double down on what they already know they do best.

“For now, we are going to keep our product line relatively small with an expansive choice of scents. Within the product line, we have bath salts, body scrubs, lip scrubs, lip balms, and matching accessory bags—all made from natural ingredients!”

In the future, they would like to provide seasonal scents featuring new LINC-d artists, perhaps chosen through regular art competitions.

“Wherever Lippy Lu takes us, Lincoln and I are grateful to be going there together!” Marisa affirms.

/MYLIPPYLU @MYLIPPYLU

Skincare is self-care

health & fitness 198 204

REIMAGINING PLAYGROUNDS

BY: KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

STRENGTH UNLEASHED

BY: KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

Reimagining Playgrounds

How Gympanzees is Making Exercise Accessible and Joyful for Children with Disabilities

Sadly, the vast majority of recreational facilities exclude children with disabilities. In fact, it’s estimated that 84% of children with disabilities

don’t have access to regular leisure facilities. And in case you’re wondering, there are around three million children with disabilities in the United States, 750,000 in the United Kingdom, and 240 million worldwide.

In most cases, kids with disabilities can’t play or exercise, and they’re usually stuck at home with their families. This has a major impact on siblings, but parents are also affected. Fortunately, some people are attempting to increase the options for kids with disabilities. One of those people is Stephanie Wheen, a

physiotherapist by trade and founder and CEO of Gympanzees, a place for children and young adults with disabilities to play, exercise, and relax. Wheen came up with the idea around five years ago when she took on an accelerator program that taught her everything she needed to know about business. That’s when she started a team around her, and together, they started dreaming up a big center for children with disabilities. But before all that, they needed to prove that their bold concept could work.

That’s when the idea for pop-ups came into play. Opened in 2018, the Gympanzee PopUps have been run in schools to provide families with a much-needed service and also to prove their concept for a main center, which is in the planning stages. The pop-ups include everything

PHOTO CREDIT COURTESY OF BUSINESS LIVE, GYMPANZEES, BATH ECO WRITTEN BY KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

“Gympanzees is just amazing because there’s nothing else like it”

needed to ensure a fun and safe environment: a gym, indoor playground, outdoor playground, soft playroom, a trampoline room, a sociable café, a music room, and two sensory rooms. These facilities were created so that Wheen could offer an environment that best suits a child’s physical and sensory needs. So far, Gympanzees Pop-Ups have been a huge success, with over 14,000 visitors over the 95 days they have been open over the Easter and summer holidays when the schools are empty of students.

“Gympanzees is just amazing because there’s nothing else like it,” said the parent of a Gympanzees participant who traveled up from Denton and stayed the night. “I’d love to see things like Gympanzees everywhere, to be

honest. And selfishly, closer to us would be brilliant. But I just think it’s something that all children should be able to access.”

It’s not unusual for visitors to travel from faraway places to get the full Gympanzees Pop-Up experience, with some families staying overnight in accommodations to visit two days in a row. Others will even travel three hours each way in a day for a 1.5-hour session. The great appeal of Gympanzees for parents and guardians is that kids and young adults with disabilities get the exercise and health benefits they need without knowing it. They can improve their physical health, social skills, and sensory integration by playing, having fun, and exploring the world Gympanzees has created.

Stephanie Wheen

Like all kids, children with disabilities need regular physical activity to control weight, improve cardiovascular fitness, build strong muscles and bones, reduce the risk of developing health conditions, and reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. That’s why experts recommend 60 minutes of physical activity a day. But researchers at the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal report that kids with disabilities rarely get that amount.

The opportunities provided by Gympanzees is so critical because they improve the quality of life among children, young people, and their families. That’s why Wheen wants to ensure more families have access to those opportunities.

“We’re building the first Gympanzees main facility on the outskirts of Bristol, and the plan is that once the first one is built, we will go nationwide,” she says. This will be the next chapter of Gympanzees’ unrelenting story and

Roadshow Bath

play a part in building a more accessible location. Since the organization is a registered charity in England and Wales, they’re fundraising to complete the multi-millionpound project, Project Home.

Just within one hour of Bristol, there are 66,000 children and young adults living with disabilities. Most of these people, around three quarters of them, don’t have regular access to recreational facilities. That means not enough play, not enough exercise, not enough friend time, and not enough fun for around 49,500 kids and young adults near Bristol.

The problematic part with disabilities is that they are just as unique as personalities, which is the reason families can get exhausted trying to find the right solution. But Wheen has attempted to solve this problem by truly codesigning with families. With a permanent hub open seven days a week, Gympanzees will give families access to all the facilities they need. In the meantime, Gympanzees is providing fun, safe, calm, social pop-up spaces for kids and young adults with disabilities to be themselves at their own pace.

Helen Sampson

“I’d love to see things like Gympanzees everywhere, to be honest... I just think it’s something that all children should be able to access.”

-PARENT OF A GYMANZEES PARTICIPANT

Strength Unleashed

Javeno Mclean’s Lifelong Commitment to Universal Fitness

When Javeno Mclean started J7 Health Centre in Manchester, UK, he had one goal in mind. That mission was to open a facility where the whole family could come and exercise. “J7 classes are a beautiful mix of ages, abilities, and sizes, where we go to war together,” Mclean has said. “It works because everybody is included.”

When he says “everybody,” he really means it. A big part of what Mclean does at J7 is to help people with cancer and disabilities. And it’s not just a project; it’s his life’s work. Mclean’s free gym for people with disabilities has become somewhat of a sanctuary for the disabled, elderly, and ill. He doesn’t believe any of them should have to pay to better their physical and mental well-being.

When asked where Mclean got the idea to help clients with a wide range of disabilities, he pointed to the unloving, uncaring, and patronizing ways he saw people being treated as his motivation for fixing and changing the industry.

“My passion comes from my gratitude for and knowing how much helping people to better health can positively affect and influence the entire family,” he said. “Being included is one the greatest things in the world! And all I saw was disabled and elderly people missing out and being disrespected.”

It’s been nearly 15 years since the former champion athlete followed his long-time dream of opening a gym. Over that time, he’s helped people with illnesses, dementia, and disabilities completely free of charge. Asked why he does it, Mclean says, “The last thing I want to do is take your money. I want to make you smile. I want to put that smile on your face.”

PHOTO CREDIT COURTESY OF FOX 13 SEATTLE, WORDPLAY MAGAZINE, KAMPUS PRODUCTION, LADBIBLE

WRITTEN BY KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

“J7 classes are a beautiful mix of ages, abilities, and sizes, where we go to war together.It works because everybody is included.”

As a personal trainer for many years, Mclean had an epiphany. As an athlete, he eventually got to the point where he was receiving more satisfaction from helping other people than from helping himself. He’s still training people without disabilities, but at any given time, Mclean has around 15 disabled children and 30 elderly adults that he trains as well.

For Mclean, helping people achieve what they never truly believed possible makes it all worth it. “I have seen clients change drastically physically and mentally,” he says. “From stroke clients who regain the use of their affected arms and other limbs to suicidal clients who have re-found the joy of life and want to live and exist. When people rediscover their self-worth and self-confidence, it is such a blessing to witness.”

Some would think Mclean would run into challenging moments along this journey, but he doesn’t see it that way. “I don’t believe in barriers; I believe I can fix anything,” he asserts. Instead, he believes in hurdles to jump over. But there is one part of the job that Mclean doesn’t enjoy. “The most difficulties come with losing people I love to terminal cancer or old age. It never gets easier.”

Mclean’s compassion, energy, and impact have traversed the globe helping people with disabilities build up the courage to better themselves. After watching some of his videos online, Mclean says a 19-year-old from Ireland with cerebral palsy filmed himself practicing the same drills to stand up. He sent that recording to Mclean, who was overcome with emotions because of his effects on so many people.

Mclean also has the world record for the “most people with disabilities in a class,” but he doesn’t like it when people feel sorry or have pity for people in wheelchairs. “I don’t give a damn about your chair. It doesn’t define you,” he has said. “I care about you… I give a damn about the individual I’m looking at.”

When he’s not in the gym training, Mclean is hosting free Zoom classes for sick people who cannot attend. Between those and the videos posted online of him helping people get better through his exercises, Mclean has received positive feedback from all over the world.

When asked how he’s able to keep encouraging people to give it their all and not get discouraged, Mclean says it’s about forming a genuine bond and real relationship where there is mutual respect. Once he and his client respect each other, any goal is achievable.

“To take health seriously, they need to first realize the damage it’s causing their families and anyone who loves them,” he says. “I find the easiest way to encourage people is to show them how amazing they can be. I do this by making them demonstrate their own excellence through exercise.”

As a person born into poverty, Maclean says he’s blessed to have a gym. But J7 is more than any ordinary gym. It has won “Gym of the Year” two times in a row. He will tell you that he loves what he does and wears it in his heart. “Anyone who knows me knows J7 is my passion and what I was born to do,” he adds. “So it’s impossible for me not to be happy when I’m here.”

Since this is the Inclusivity Issue, Mclean had some final words for people with and without disabilities:

“Notice people… look at people and not through people! A disability doesn’t define a person. I LIKE TO CALL IT

A PIZZA! A disability is just one slice of that person’s pizza; there are so many other slices. To anyone with a disability, please understand that you deserve to commit to improving your health and well-being just as much as anyone else. All anyone would ever want is to be treated normal. Treating people normally and genuinely caring for people will change the world, I promise you.”

“My passion comes from my gratitude for and knowing how much helping people to better health can positively affect and influence the entire family.”

Sports

212 A RACE FOR MOBILITY BY JESSE ADUMA

220 WINNING FOR ALL ABILITIES BY JESSE ADUMA

226 BONDS THAT SCORE BY JESSE ADUMA

A RACE FOR MOBILITY How Athletes for hope is Turning Sporting Success into Mobility Solutions

The unfettering capability of hope can very scarcely be explained. Hope has a way of shining light into the darkest of areas and introducing newfound courage, resolve, and a reason to push on. Living in a world as arduous and uncompromising as ours, this hope, even if just a glimmer, is what many of us need to find the strength to go on.

This notion rings true more so in the lives of individuals with various disabilities

and impairments, who may find it difficult to execute various everyday tasks. As such, they need our help and support to not get overtaken by life’s challenges but to keep striving for a wellrounded and fulfilled life. Recognizing this, the AFHB has kickstarted an initiative to help bring hope to kids with mobility issues.

Athletes for Hope Belgium (AFHB) is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of children facing physical challenges. One of their most notable initiatives is their commitment to purchasing a walking robot for kids with spinal cord injuries or muscle diseases.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ATHLETES FOR HOPE BELGIUM, JON TYSON, CENTER-FOR-AGING-BETTER, RON LACH, RED JOHN, DANNY NEE WRITTEN BY JESSE ADUMA

The organization champions the needs of children who, for one reason or the other, cannot walk independently. The organization seeks to bring hope to kids with mobility issues through a unique bonusbased system.

Athletes for Hope Belgium implement their strategy through a special bonus-based system that sees young athletes compete in over four different sporting categories with an overachieving mentality in order to achieve good results.

Whenever one of these athletes is successful on the field, the AFHB team scratches open one square on a scratch card to gradually reveal the picture underneath it. This process is then repeated over and over again until all squares have been scratched off. Consequently, the project then rewards the successes of these athletes by buying a walking robot for a kid with a spinal cord injury or muscle disease.

AFHB athletes have been coached by the organization from youth to ensure maximal achievement. These athletes are specially chosen and trained from the tender average age of 15, which the organization highlights as “the perfect age to start guiding and shaping young talented people.”

This initiative is a testament to the organization’s mission of providing hope, support, and opportunities for disabled children to overcome their physical limitations and improve their quality of life.

The concept of using robotics to assist individuals with disabilities is not new, but it is constantly evolving and improving. Robotic exoskeletons, in particular, have shown great promise in helping people with spinal cord injuries or muscle diseases regain

mobility and independence. These advanced devices are designed to support and augment the user’s movements, enabling them to walk and perform various activities that were once thought impossible.

The decision by Athletes for Hope Belgium to purchase a walking robot for children with spinal cord injuries or muscle diseases is a significant step forward in their commitment to empowering disabled youth. By providing access to this cutting-edge technology, the organization is giving these children the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of walking once again.

The impact of this initiative cannot be overstated. For children who have experienced the loss of mobility due to spinal cord injuries or muscle diseases, the physical and emotional benefits of being able to walk with the assistance of a robot can be life-changing. Walking is not just a functional activity but a fundamental part of our human experience. It allows us to explore, interact with our environment, and participate in social activities.

The walking robot serves as more than just a mechanical aid; it becomes a symbol of hope, resilience, and endless possibilities. It instills a sense of empowerment and confidence in these young individuals, showing them that their physical limitations

do not define them. Through the support of Athletes for Hope Belgium, they can overcome obstacles, defy expectations, and reach new heights.

In addition to the physical benefits, the psychological and emotional impact of the walking robot cannot be ignored. For children who may have experienced feelings of isolation, frustration, or self-doubt due to their condition, the ability to walk again can significantly improve their mental well-being. It can boost their self-esteem, enhance social interactions, and provide a renewed sense of purpose and belonging.

The purchase of a walking robot is a substantial financial commitment, and Athletes for Hope Belgium’s dedication to raising the necessary funds is commendable.

Furthermore, Athletes for Hope Belgium understands that the walking robot is just the beginning. They recognize the importance of ongoing support, maintenance, and training to ensure that the children can maximize the benefits of this technology. Therefore, the organization also commits to providing comprehensive assistance and follow-up care to the recipients and their families, ensuring they receive the ongoing support they need to integrate the walking robot into their daily lives.

icelandicglacial.com

Winning For All Abilities

A Journey from Limitation to Triumph

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KC, HANNAH SMITH, AUDI NISSEN WRITTEN BY JESSE ADUMA

The world we live in is already challenging enough without having to go through it with physical challenges.

People who find themselves in these conditions due to one uncontrollable circumstance or another find it twice as hard to maneuver through their everyday lives.

Being labeled “less able” by the general public, not only do they miss out on certain aspects of life, but they also find themselves ostracized from society as most people find them encumbering and tend to exclude them from social activities.

However, thanks to the activities of organizations such as Sportable, which

work hard to ensure that people with physical challenges do not feel helpless or abandoned, the wisdom of inclusivity is spreading its wings.

Sportable is a non-profit organization founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 2005 with the aim of providing adaptive sports opportunities to individuals with physical and visual disabilities. Sportable’s mission is to create opportunities and transform the lives of individuals with physical disabilities and visual impairments through sports.

The organization serves individuals of all ages and abilities, providing opportunities for them to participate in various sports, such as basketball, tennis, rugby, and more. Sportable aims to promote inclusivity, teamwork, and community for all individuals, regardless of their abilities.

One of the main functions of Sportable is to provide adaptive sports opportunities

to individuals with physical and visual disabilities. The organization achieves this by providing a range of sports programs designed to accommodate different disabilities and skill levels. These programs include team sports, individual sports, and recreational activities. Through these programs, Sportable aims to empower individuals with disabilities, build their confidence, and help them lead active and fulfilling lives.

In addition to providing adaptive sports opportunities, Sportable also serves as a resource center for individuals with disabilities and their families. The organization provides information and support on various topics, including adaptive equipment, transportation, and financial assistance. Sportable also partners with other organizations and agencies to advocate for the needs and rights of individuals with disabilities.

One of the key objectives of Sportable is

to promote inclusivity and eliminate barriers to participation in sports for individuals with disabilities. The organization achieves this by creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all participants.

Sportable’s programs are designed to be inclusive and accessible, and the organization works to ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to participate in sports regardless of their ability level.

Another objective of Sportable is to promote teamwork and community among participants. The organization recognizes the importance of social connections and the benefits of being part of a team. Sportable’s programs are designed to foster a sense of community and provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to build friendships and connections with others who share their interests.

Sportable also aims to promote physical fitness and health among individuals with disabilities. The organization recognizes the importance of physical activity and the benefits it can have on physical and mental health.

Through its programs, Sportable aims to encourage individuals with disabilities to lead active and healthy lifestyles and to promote

the importance of physical activity as a means of improving overall well-being.

In conclusion, Sportable is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with physical disabilities and visual impairments by providing them with adaptive sports opportunities. The organization’s functions include providing adaptive sports opportunities, serving as a resource center, and advocating for the needs and rights of individuals with disabilities. Sportable’s goals include promoting inclusivity, teamwork, and community, as well as promoting physical fitness and health. Through its programs and initiatives, Sportable is transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities and promoting a more inclusive and welcoming society for all.

Bonds That Score

Empowering Youth with Challenges to Reach for the Stars

WRITTEN BY JESSE ADUMA

We all have many things we would love to do in our lifetime. Goals to accomplish, milestones to reach, a bucket list to carry out, dreams to achieve; these are all major aspects of our lives, and a lot of how we see or regard ourselves—whether successful or not—usually depends on how many of these goals, these dreams, we have achieved. While we all have the ability to achieve our dreams, some of us may need a little help in actualizing them. Due to certain unfavorable elements in the past, some of us find our dreams even more abstract as these life-altering circumstances have been a wet blanket on all hope we once had of achieving said dreams. Fortunately, this is where Dream On 3 takes a huge step in restoring faith in humanity.

Dream on 3 is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping little kids with chronic illnesses, developmental & intellectual disabilities, or lifealtering conditions by introducing kindness, love, and pure joy into their lives. The organization is able to achieve this by creating memorable personal experiences for the kids through the world of sports.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DREAM ON 3, IVAN SAMKOV, DANNY NEE, IYNNELLE RICHARDSON.

Dream on 3 is a nonprofit organization founded by Brandon Lindsay and his wife, Elizabeth Lindsay, who also serves as the organization’s Executive Director. Dream on 3 serves as a godparent, watching over and inspiring faith and hope in the lives of young kids, giving them the strength to go on, believing that they, too, can achieve their dreams.

With the help of a caring and passionately driven team, Dream on 3 can bring smiles to the faces of kids and young adults, ages 5-21, who are living with lifealtering conditions, by helping them achieve sports-related dreams, anything from attending a sporting event, to arranging a meeting with a favorite athlete, or even an entire team.

The aim/mission of Dream on 3 is to create experiences of joy, hope, and encouragement for children and young adults with life-altering conditions through the world of sports.

The opportunity to live out their ultimate sports dreams, even under customized encounters, is priceless. By doing so, not only does the organization put smiles on the faces of these kids and create precious memories, but they also help encourage kids going through different challenges to dream, giving them the strength to fight on.

What’s more, by bringing joy into the lives of kids for no cost at all, the initiative also proves that there is still goodness in the world.

There’s nothing more gratifying than being the reason for someone’s smile, and in doing so, Dream On helps restore faith in humanity and bolster unity and cooperation in the community. Besides its main program that helps create memorable experiences via the world of sports, the Initiative also has a variety of other impactful programs to help bring kids’ dreams to fruition.

THE DREAM EXPERIENCE

Dream Experience is the passion of the Dream on 3 organization and the prized jewel of the initiative. This is where the organization helps to achieve the sportsaffiliated dreams of kids and young adults by creating customized VIP experiences centered on their favorite athlete, sports team, or sporting event.

These “customized experiences” may include travel, accommodation, dining, and other special activities tailored to suit the interests of the beneficiary. The costs of which are covered by the organization. By partnering with the families of the eligible beneficiaries, the organization can keep the details of the “experience” a surprise for the kids, making the experience all the more special and memorable.

DAY DREAMS

This is another program offered by the organization that also helps create

memorable experiences for young kids through sports. However, the Day Dreams program is notably different from the Dream Experience initiative in that it is a more contained/curtailed event that caters to a whole group of kids rather than just one deserving recipient granted a VIP experience.

Collaborating with athletes and local sports organizations in the community, Dream on 3 is able to serve a larger group of children by creating an exclusive one-time opportunity for a marvelous experience at an in-person sporting event. By doing so, the organization helps put smiles on the faces of a lot of kids and simultaneously fosters values such as kindness and compassion in the community.

COLLEGIATE DREAM TEAMS

This program is designed to foster a sense of belonging for young kids with life-altering conditions, or Dreamers, as they are often referred to. In the Collegiate Dream Teams program, college students team up with their chosen Dreamers and participate in the planning and execution of their Dream Experience.

This program has spread nationwide as students from colleges across the country engage in various ways to help create a memorable experience for Dreamers. Some of the ways college students help out in actualizing these dreams include: creating market strategies, helping to raise funds by planning and hosting fund-raiser events,

getting close and personal with their chosen dreamers for relationship-building exercises, etc.

This helps Dreamers realize that they never have to face their challenges alone, as they have a team of college students and an entire campus supporting and cheering them on.

The Dream on 3 organization also has a couple of other minor programs aimed at helping kids and young adults who may have waning enthusiasm for life to once again find the strength and will to Dream On. If you’re wondering how to suggest a kid for a Dream Experience, the organization only chooses Dream Recipients recommended by their referral partners. So if you have a kid to recommend, you may contact your healthcare provider, who may then begin the referral process. As a non-profit organization, its main focus and passion is to spread joy and encouragement as it strives to put a smile on the faces of as many kids as possible through sports. However, being “nonprofit oriented,” the organization could do with some help and support from the public as they strive to renew our faith in humanity’s kindness.

To donate, you may visit the Dream on 3 website page for more details on the process and find gratification in the fact that you will be helping bring to fruition the dreams of kids and young adults while spreading joy and hope and uniting entire communities.

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technology 234

THE RAY OF HEALP BY NIZI E N . LOKMAN

The Ray of Healp

Elizabeth Tikoyan, Shining a Light on Chronic Illness Care Globally

WRITTEN BY NIZIE N. LOKMAN

The Chronic Disease Centre has reported that six in ten Americans live with chronic disease. It is said to be a leading cause of death and disability in America. Globally, the US has the highest chronic disease burden. Yet, only 40 percent of chronic illnesses have existing medical treatments. Which means the remaining 60% of chronic conditions are unresolved.

As a result, many patients experience stress looking for information about their illnesses due to limited research as a point of reference. If there’s anyone who understands this mental stress that a patient goes through when facing a chronic condition, it would be Elizabeth Tikoyan, the founder of the Healp app.

Elizabeth shared the moment when she was minutes away from surgery at 20 years old, facing a health battle, in the Healp Instagram post. “I made a promise to myself. If I ever got better, I would do everything in my power to make sure no one should experience my fate. My chronic illness story will end with a silver lining.” Today, not only has she healed from her medical condition that happened years ago, but she put her heart and soul into designing a crowdsourcing mobile application to provide mental health resources that are not only easily accessible to medical patients but also to the larger community. The health app has reached over 5,000 users in 72 countries worldwide and is still counting. Astonishingly, Elizabeth has been recognized for her positive impact in the disability patient space by Senator Mark Warner and the US Health and Human Services. She is also a Harvard SMP Alumni and Forbes Under 30 Scholar.

FLASHBACK TO ELIZABETH’S EXPERIENCE AS A PATIENT

Back in high school, when most girls were looking forward to college, Elizabeth Tikoyan had to hold back that thought. She was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, which led to semi-paralysis, memory loss, speech impairment, and nerve damage.

She spent her entire time in distress visiting doctors, hospitals, and treatment centers. She had to take 80 pills a day, weekly treatment, and surgery and put all of her hopes, dreams, and goals on hold. She was told she wouldn’t make it past 20 years old and would spend the rest of that life in a wheelchair. Refusing to settle for less, Elizabeth was determined to change the narrative. She started to look for a cure through the internet, asking people with the same condition for the best doctors, treatments, and practices and also through alternative means.

“If you have good thoughts, they will shine on your face like sunbeams and you will always look and feel lovely”

— ROALD DAHL

SHIFTING THE STIGMA

“My goal with Healp is to create a world where mental health is not stigmatized, and people can get the help they need without fear of judgment or discrimination,” said Elizabeth, who is passionate about mental health, and believes that everyone deserves access to quality mental health care.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, stigma, prejudice, and discrimination against people with mental illness are still very much a problem. The Healp App aims to shift the stigma by giving a voice to silent and struggling patients across the world.

COMBINING COMMUNITY & BIG DATA

Elizabeth and her team are working to break down barriers to mental health care and provide support to those who need it. The medical tech app helps patients with incurable conditions find answers the medical world can’t provide. “We take a twopronged approach to solving the emotional side of diagnosis and alleviating the uncertainty by building a caring community and identifying a better understanding of the needs of the users by crowdsourcing information by using big data,” Elizabeth said. She believes in the power of social networks that could help patients find what works for each health condition. Elizabeth said, “Our app does more than just bring people together—it helps patients get information about their conditions from others who have been in similar situations.”

Healp introduces “Meet Your Chronic Illness Bestie.”

Healp’s strong community bonds support all walks of life. “Chronic illness can be isolating, but having friends who understand what you’re going through makes all the difference,” Spencer, a Healp user who shared his testimonial on the Healp website.

HEALP TODAY

Today, Healp is becoming a meaningful global health platform that empowers patients with struggling chronic illnesses and disabilities to find a cure. With the Healp app, users can explore various mental health services. They can explore virtual therapy sessions with licensed therapists, meditation and mindfulness exercises, and personalized self-care plans. The app also offers a 24/7 chat feature that allows users to connect with a licensed therapist or counselor anytime.

Essentially, the Healp app is a digital platform where users can check in, connect, share opinions, stories, and ideas, and empower others with similar diagnoses and illnesses. Along the way, users may discover engaging conversations that expand to human connections and friendships through their lifestyle and well-being, such as trusted health tips, product reviews, food and nutrition, recommended medical centers, clinics and hospitals, and much more. Most of all, users feel less alone in this meaningful health community.

COME & SUPPORT HEALP

With the growing number of app users around the globe, Healp is looking out for potential partners who can serve and support the community with their products and services. In the past, Healp has worked with NGOs, health and advocacy groups, and researchers who can support the patient’s journey. You would be able to connect with targeted patients in multiple focused communities.

Healp is a great place to inspire others to heal from their pain with your knowledge and experiences. Whether you are an individual, an organization, or a business, you can support and amplify the patient voice that the world needs. After all, every light shines from different angles. All unique energy matters in ways you never knew can impact the lives of people around the world. Let’s shift the stigma of mental health together and support the Healp community for the greater good.

special interest

A MENTOR IN MOTION

BY JESSE ADUMA

MODELING CHANGE: THE MERCADO MOVEMENT

BY STELLA POLYZOIDOU

A Mentor In Motion

AFK Unites Athletic Excellence with LifeChanging Mentorship

WRITTEN BY JESSE ADUMA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY AFK, ANDREA PIACQUADIO, COTTONBRO STUDIO, MARY TAYLOR, STEFAN STEFANCIK

The need for camaraderie and companionship cannot be overemphasized. Not only is socialization between humans a vital aspect of livelihood, but it also has specific impacts on all individuals involved. Individuals have the ability to affect and influence change in one another just by engaging and being in contact, even without the conscious desire to do so.

This propensity to affect or influence change is even more potent within a mentor–mentee dynamic. Contrasting heavily with the traditional/conventional educational system, this sort of association is much closer and more personal and very often blossoms into a deeper and much more meaningful relationship.

Under these conditions, learning/ coaching is easier as a bond has been created from mutual respect between both parties. This helps foster a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood, creating a nurturing environment for values and lessons, thereby creating an optimal learning atmosphere.

Organizations such as AFK have acknowledged this fact and, in doing so, identified the importance of socialization and figured out a way to wield its power through their mentorship program, which serves to cater to the needs of kids in need of guidance in their lives.

Athletes For Kids Youth Mentoring (AFK) is a non-profit organization founded in 2002. The organization’s mission is to provide mentorship to children who are facing adversity by pairing them with local high school athletes who serve as positive role models.

AFK is focused on helping children with disabilities through sports by pairing them with high school athletes who provide much-needed guidance and companionship.

This strategy not only helps improve the lives of the children (mentees), who are also referred to as “buddy,” but through mutual learning, it also has positive impacts on the mentors and gives them a chance to be a positive influence in the life of someone else.

Through a series of meticulous processes, AFK chooses children between grades 1-12 and partners them with qualified high school athletes for the mentorship program, which typically lasts from one to three years.

Getting accepted as an AFK mentor is a painstaking process involved with multiple stages of screenings and background checks. New AFK mentors are usually referred by existing members of the organization, after which they are made to undergo a meticulous and thorough screening process before getting accepted. After selection, the organization affords new mentors with training programs where they receive tutoring and support from AFK’s Mentorship Coordinator.

The athletes who participate in AFK come from various sports backgrounds, including football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. These athletes are not only successful on the field but also serve as positive role models in their communities. They are trained by AFK staff to mentor children by building relationships, providing guidance and support, and offering encouragement.

The program is designed to be a long-term mentoring relationship, with mentors committing to at least one year of consistent contact with their mentee with at least two to four meetings a month. Mentors and mentees are encouraged to spend time together regularly, engaging in activities such as playing sports, going to the movies, or simply spending time together talking and building a relationship.

AFK has been incredibly successful in its mission, serving over 2,500 children since its inception.

In addition to its mentoring program, AFK hosts fundraising events throughout the year,

including a gala event in November. These events raise funds for the organization and serve as a way to raise awareness about the importance of mentorship and the impact that AFK is having in the community.

AFK’s impact can be seen in the countless success stories of its mentees. One such story is Isaac, who was struggling in school and had lost confidence in himself. After being paired with a mentor through AFK, Isaac’s grades improved, and he gained a newfound sense of self-worth. Today, Isaac is thriving and is on track to graduate from high school and attend college.

Another success story is Anthony, who was facing significant challenges at home and in school. Through his relationship with his mentor, Anthony gained the support and guidance to overcome these challenges and succeed in school. Today, Anthony is a college graduate and is giving back to his community by volunteering with AFK as a mentor himself.

AFK’s success stories are a testament to the power of mentorship and the impact that positive role models can have on the lives of children. The organization’s commitment to serving the whole family and its focus on building long-term relationships have set it apart as a leader in the mentoring field.

AFK’s successes are a testament to their belief in the power of supportive relationships outside the family to build confidence and restore hope. As further proof of this, many mentorships blossom into friendships and companionships, which go a long way in bettering the lives of the mentors and the mentees and helping positively impact the community.

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Modeling Change: The Mercado Movement

How One Model’s Persistence and Vision

Transformed an Industry’s Perspective on Beauty

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BETHANY MOLLENKOF // COURTESY OF JILLIAN MERCADO

WRITTEN BY STELLA POLYZOIDOU

In a world that often values conventional beauty standards, disabled individuals are frequently overlooked in the fashion industry. However, Jillian Mercado, a disabled Latinx model, is changing the game by challenging societal norms and redefining inclusivity. Her journey is deeply rooted in the need for representation and the desire to be seen and acknowledged, while her story is a testament to the power of visibility, inspiring individuals with disabilities worldwide to embrace their identities and pursue their dreams.

Born and raised in New York City by Dominican parents, Mercado embraces a rich blend of these cultures that define her unique identity. When she was thirteen, she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that weakens the body’s muscles over time.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been in a wheelchair. If I’m nervous, excited, or any emotion, my muscles get tighter, and it gets a little difficult for me to do things,” she disclosed in a past interview with Glamour magazine. Despite the challenges she faces due to her disability, Mercado has fearlessly shattered the stereotypes associated with both disability and the modeling industry. Driven by the stark absence of representation for disabled individuals in the industry, Mercado refused to accept the status quo. Mercado encountered skepticism and rejection from a young age, as many doubted her ability to pursue a career in an industry known for its narrow beauty standards.

I was still struggling with the idea of having ‘model’ and ‘disability’ in the same sentence”

“I was still struggling with the idea of having ‘model’ and ‘disability’ in the same sentence,” she revealed in her interview with Ray Zhang

The fashion industry has often been criticized for its narrow representation of beauty, overlooking individuals with disabilities. Although she was told she would have to work ten times harder than anyone else, she used those words to fuel her path to achieving her modeling dreams.

Beyond the fashion industry, Mercado has also encountered challenges in terms of accessibility and inclusivity. Public spaces, transportation, and even societal attitudes often lack the necessary accommodations for people with disabilities. This lack of inclusivity further compounds the daily difficulties Mercado must navigate. After years of persistently challenging antiquated fashion norms, she started to capture the attention of big brands. The cherry on top was when she connected with a fashion blogger who recognized her potential and introduced her to the renowned agency IMG Models. This partnership paved the way for Mercado’s remarkable career, leading to her participation in major campaigns and runway shows that reshaped the industry’s perception of beauty and inclusivity. Soon, she was booking campaigns with Target, Nordstrom, Diesel, and Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ fashion line. In a powerful convergence, Jillian Mercado had the opportunity to collaborate with Beyoncé in a groundbreaking campaign. As part of the artist’s Ivy Park collection, Mercado joined forces with Beyoncé to showcase the collection’s message of inclusivity and empowerment. The campaign not only featured a diverse range of models but also celebrated Mercado’s disability, highlighting the beauty and strength that comes with embracing one’s unique abilities.

I always say that having a disability is like a superpower; it’s something that people will never understand, but it’s so magical. I appreciate the world and my life more than the average person does.”

She is an outspoken advocate for disability inclusion in all aspects of life. Through her powerful voice on social media and public appearances, she promotes acceptance, accessibility, and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Her activism encompasses the crucial intersection of gender and disability as she strives to create a more equitable world. In 2018, she collaborated with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in an effort to tackle inequality, a fundamental goal outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Mercado’s impactful work with the UN demonstrates her commitment to driving positive change on a global scale. She also emphasizes the importance of representation, stating that individuals with disabilities should not be excluded from media, advertising, or any other form of representation.

“Initially, I saw the lack of representation for my community. As far as the industry goes, I think if we continue to include everyone and make it very inclusive behind and in front of the scenes, it’s definitely gonna help the industry move very, very forward,” she explained. Mercado’s journey serves as an inspiration to individuals with disabilities worldwide. Through her success, Mercado demonstrates that disability does not define a person’s abilities or limit their dreams. As more designers and brands recognize the value of diversity, the future of inclusive fashion becomes increasingly promising.

“I always say that having a disability is like a superpower; it’s something that people will never understand, but it’s so magical. I appreciate the world and my life more than the average person does.”

In embracing her disability as a superpower, Mercado not only challenges misconceptions surrounding disability but also transforms her own experiences into a source of inspiration and motivation. Her perspective serves as a powerful reminder that our differences make us extraordinary and that by embracing them, we can harness our unique strengths to create positive change in the world.

The challenges she faces on a daily basis have instilled in her a deep reservoir of resilience and strength. The power of representation cannot be underestimated. For people with disabilities, seeing models who reflect their own experiences and journeys is an empowering moment of recognition. By showcasing individuals with disabilities in fashion campaigns, runway shows, and editorials, the industry sends a resounding message of inclusion. It acknowledges their unique beauty and talent, transforming the narrative around disability from limitation to boundless potential.

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ART

WITH A HEART BY:

CRISTINA DEPTULA

Art with a Heart

Sista Creatives Rising, A Mother-Daughter Initiative

Fostering Creativity and Equitability in the Art World

WRITTEN BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Sista Creatives Rising is a new organization empowering and creating space for women and gendernonconforming artists of color, especially artists who are neurodiverse, chronically ill, or disabled.

The founders, mother-daughter duo Claire and Amaranthia GittensJones, bring a wealth of insight and experience to the table.

Artist Amaranthia Gittens-Jones grew up participating in workshops at Kimball Jenkins, an art-focused community center in Concord, New

PHOTO CREDIT SISTA CREATIVES RISING

Hampshire. While there, she and her mom, Claire, and another Kimball Jenkins artist created a traveling anti-bullying art exhibit entitled “Do You Know Who I Am?”

Featured in various libraries, the exhibit allowed kids to tell their stories and share their unique identities through presentations. Amaranthia also shared a personal essay with teachers at her public middle school to raise awareness of bullying and discrimination among the student body.

In part as a result of that bullying, Amaranthia was forced to leave school and take the rest of her classes online. Later, she was diagnosed with C-PTSD, racial trauma, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.

During this time, she, Claire, and the other artist working with them transformed “Do You Know Who I Am?” into “I’m Proud of Who I Am,” showcased art pieces Amaranthia created, and sold them to raise cash for kids going through crises. “I’m Proud of Who I Am” held its last show in summer 2016.

Unfortunately, due to concerns from some school administrators, her project was censored a bit. She wished she could have said more about her experience as a Black girl living in a white community.

A LEGACY OF STRUGGLE AND INSPIRATION

Claire Gittens-Jones’ art and writing have also been informed by personal and cultural legacies of trauma. She grew up in Barbados, where she and her mother and younger brother endured domestic violence.

“I promised myself that I would go to college and become a well-known writer to help my mother find her freedom. But I dropped out of high school at 15 because of the violence and thought everything was lost, including my dream,” she says.

However, she made her way off the island, took classes, earned a GED, and got a scholarship to Mount Holyoke College as a Frances Perkins Scholar. Named for the first female U.S. Secretary of Labor, the program is designed to help older women whose educations were interrupted go back to college.

“My mission to help women like my mother and myself reawakened there. I began my journey to create Sista Creatives Rising by writing, producing, and directing a semiautobiographical play based on my life story.” While at Mount Holyoke, Claire designed an individual major that involved a research trip to Senegal’s Goree Island, where enslaved people were shipped to the Americas.

“Realizing the importance and relevance of that moment, I stood at The Door of No Return, where my enslaved ancestors forcefully took their last steps off their homeland to board the ships that brought them to the Caribbean and the Americas as enslaved persons. Standing at the door steeped in the traumatic history of my ancestors, I determined to break the patterns of the intergenerational legacy of abuse passed down through the generations to me. When Amaranthia was born, I raised her with this awareness,” says Claire.

Sista Creatives Rising was birthed through Claire’s determination to make a difference in marginalized women’s lives and Amaranthia’s background in activist artwork.

“In 2021, my mom and I came together to develop our virtual art show, Art and Mind. In 2021, our theme was ‘Reflections of Women, Femmes, and Our Mental Health During COVID,’ which combined the concepts of our previous projects,” says Amaranthia.

Art and Mind was a fundraiser for Brain Arts, a Boston nonprofit working to create space for local marginalized communities by creating more equitable opportunities in the arts sector. During this virtual fundraising event, Amaranthia and Claire featured a dozen creatives through short films, showcased a therapist who gave free general guidance, a disability activist, and an activist musician at their virtual reception.

“From there, we realized combining these concepts could become a much larger project, leading to Sista Creatives Rising,” Claire says.

“We realized combining these concepts could become a much larger project, leading to Sista Creatives Rising”

EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARGINALIZED CREATIVE ARTISTS

Sista Creatives Rising’s mission is to create equitable opportunities for women and non-gender-conforming people of color in art spaces.

Claire points to statistics that indicate existing imbalances within the art world. A study published by the Public Library of Science in 2019 states that 85% of artists in museum collections are white, and 87% are men. This doesn’t align with the U.S. general population, which identifies as only 60.7% white non-Hispanic and 50.8% female. An article titled “It’s Official, 80% of the Artists in NYC’s Top Galleries Are White, and Nearly 20% are Yale Grads” by Henri Neuendorf directly addresses these disparities.

She and Amaranthia explain that their work is important, not only to encourage and support women of color in the arts but to show the public that art from marginalized creatives is equally valuable.

In addition to the annual virtual Art and Mind show, Sista Creatives Rising creates virtual workshops, participates in virtual speaking engagements, and consults with activists and arts organizations to address the lack of inclusivity and accessibility for disabled creatives.

INCLUSIVE ART AS HEALING

Accessibility and equity for the disabled is a high priority for both Amaranthia and Claire, inspired in part by Amaranthia’s disabilities and by Claire’s recent cancer journey.

“A significant motivator for me in the last year was seeing my Mom defy the odds as she recovered from cancer treatment. She never gave up, even when

things got bleak, such as when she had to sign a directive in case she was unable to speak or function after spinal surgery and when we were told she had a 50% chance of paralysis. After her surgery, her legs moved, and she began walking with help. She was told that she was in the rare 1% to walk again so soon after such a surgery.”

Amaranthia remembers that the two broke down and had panic attacks several times. But Claire persevered and self-advocated, and her daughter knew that even if she had become paralyzed, she would continue to make the most of her life and never let society’s ableism tell her no.

“As a disabled person, whenever I look at my Mom, I feel inspired and empowered. I refuse to give in to my anxiety and depression,” she says.

After this experience, Amaranthia and Claire decided to focus the fall 2023 Art and Mind show on women of color who use their art for healing or advocacy within the healthcare system.

“Mistrust, delay of care, and increased mortality are significant issues that Black women and men face. I feared how I’d be treated as an invisibly disabled Black immigrant woman,” Claire, who is also diagnosed with C-PTSD and other conditions, says.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 5.7% of doctors in America are Black.

According to the CDC, Black women are 3x more likely to die from childbirth. The Urban Institute had a study in 2020 that showed Black adult Americans reported medical racism at a rate of 10.6% compared to 3.6% of white adults and 4.5% of Latino adults. In that study, Black women and low-income folks experienced the highest rates of medical discrimination.

“As a disabled person, whenever I look at my Mom, I feel inspired and empowered. I refuse to give in to my anxiety and depression”

SPIRITUAL INSPIRATION

While Amaranthia finds the courage to continue this work by watching her mother’s recovery, Claire takes strength from watching her daughter’s resilience and from their Buddhist practice.

Having spent time in Japan due to her and her husband’s careers, she and her daughter are familiar with Buddhist teachings.

“As a survivor of childhood domestic violence, I inherited the intergenerational legacy of abuse, which means negative self-talk and patterns are within me, and I have to be ever watchful of my thoughts and actions. The patterns can play out whether I am aware of them because they are a part of my psychological DNA.”

Her Buddhist practice helped her take responsibility for her life and empowered her to work toward creating a better future for herself and her daughter.

“Once I understood [the law of karma], I felt I had some control over my life through the choices I made and that by making better choices, my life would be directed onto a path grounded in reality, not illusion or delusion.

“Even though there is suffering, as long as I remain rooted in the present moment’s reality and have some discipline, I can overcome and go through anything, even sickness or death,” she affirms.

WORKING TOGETHER AS A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER DUO

“I love working with my daughter,” Claire reflects. “She is very inspiring, mindful, and thoughtful. I cannot imagine the last 23 years without her. Mothering her has made me a better person, and her presence in my life made me grow up.”

The two began working together on art and cultural projects when Amaranthia was 13, right after bullying forced her into homeschooling.

“Amaranthia constantly communicated through her art, and I collected the pieces because I thought her artwork was unique for someone so young. She sent powerful messages with the details she created.”

Claire remembers that Amaranthia found her voice because of her “I’m Proud of Who I Am” shows, for which she received much positive feedback.

“Amaranthia had health problems from a young age, and we decided to incorporate her art shows into her healing journey. I knew we would do something with my writing and her art, as they naturally flow together, and we believe in the same ideals.”

Amaranthia keeps her 60-year-old mother up to date with technology and helps her decipher young people’s language and actions. She designed the website and created the logo, and combined her graphic designs with Canva images.

“She set up most of everything with Art and Mind from the ground up, and we work together to tighten all the concepts with that and Sista Creatives Rising. We consult with each other on everything. Because we have disabilities, we care for each other so we do not become too overwhelmed. Together we bridge the gaps from the past to the present and future, which is our slogan. I am the only one in my birth family who broke intergenerational abuse patterns.”

By confronting and continuing to shatter these dysfunctional patterns, Claire intends to help Amaranthia start a healthy new generation if she chooses to have a family. She reflects on the influence of her own mother in her life.

“I would not be here without her strength and determination to survive and take care of my brother and me and everything else under a very challenging life situation such as domestic violence. I miss her energy here on Earth. We had our differences, but she was home to me. Both she and my brother’s passing have affected me deeply.”

Because we have disabilities, we care for each other so we do not become too overwhelmed. Together we bridge the gaps from the past to the present and future, which is our slogan.

NEXT STEPS FOR SISTA CREATIVES RISING

The first Art and Mind show was entirely run by volunteers and funded through Amaranthia’s government disability funds. This year, they’ve partnered with Brain Arts to further their reach and help us ensure things would be more organized. “Brain Arts donated funds to Sista Creatives Rising for our next Art and Mind, titled ‘I Know Who I Am!’ which focuses on BIWOC artists.”

Now, they are able to pay a stipend to five artists they will select from their open call. Also, they connected with another nonprofit, Dancing Queerly Boston, to fund a short dance and spoken word film and to pay a team of 13 creatives.

“For the first time as artists, we are finally getting paid opportunities, although we don’t yet have consistent income. It feels as if our voices are being heard,” Amaranthia says.

They have greater ambitions for the future while remaining grounded and realistic.

“One day, we hope to have a physical space that’s disability accessible to accompany our virtual Art and Mind event. In the meantime, our primary focus is recovery and stability after such a challenging year. Art and Mind is a healing balm helping us get back on our feet,” says Amaranthia.

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